When William Hearst succeeded James Whitney as leader of Ontario's Conservative party and Premier in 1914, he was relatively unknown and represented northern Ontario, a region that was emerging as the province's richest source of resources and government revenues. He took office just after the outbreak of the First World War and, an unapologetic imperialist, aligned his government with Sir Robert Borden's Unionist government during a period when the country was becoming increasingly divided. At the same time, he was a relatively progressive conservative who enfranchised women and introduced public health reforms such as restricting the consumption of alcohol
yet his government was badly defeated in the 1919 election.
No Regrets examines Hearst's political career during a tumultuous time, covering the First World War and Ontario's mobilization as well as the temperance movement. Brian Douglas Tennyson explains that Hearst was not incompetent, but that his party was sharply divided and operating amid extraordinarily chaotic social and political instability. Tennyson's archival research is extensive and touches on the critical issues of the time
many of which are still relevant today, including the abuse of Indigenous treaty rights in the interests of economic development.
By:
Brian Tennyson
Imprint: University of Toronto Press
Country of Publication: Canada
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9781487550097
ISBN 10: 148755009X
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 15 December 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Primary
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Introduction 1. The Young Politician 2. Minister of Lands, Forests, and Mines 3. Whitney’s Successor 4. Taking Charge 5. Progressive Conservative 6. Conscription 7. The Gathering Storm 8. Reconstruction 9. The Election of 1919 10. The Final Chapter Appendices Notes Bibliography Image Credits Index
Brian Douglas Tennyson is a professor emeritus of history at Cape Breton University.
