James Armstrong Richardson, Sr.

James Armstrong Richardson Sr. (1885-1939) was an influential figure in Canada in both business and aviation during the early part of the 20th Century. He lived most of his life in Winnipeg.

Early life

James Armstrong Richardson was born in Kingston, Ontario in 1885; he attended Queen's and received his Bachelor of Arts in 1906. After graduation, Richardson entered the family business founded by his grandfather, James Richardson and Sons, at the time, one of Canada's greatest grain exporters.

Business interests

Richardson became Vice President of the company in 1912 and its president in 1919; in 1923, he moved the main office of the firm from Kingston to Winnipeg. Richardson quickly rose to prominence in the grain business and was elected President of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange. He was recognised as an astute businessman and sat on the Board of Directors of many Canadian companies, including the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, International Nickel, the National Trust Company Limited, the Great West Life Assurance Company, and Canadian Vickers.

Contributions to aviation

Richardson's greatest contributions came as a pioneer of Canadian commercial aviation; he founded Western Canadian Airways in 1926 and helped open up the mineral mining development of the North with his air transport routes. The later company, Canadian Airways was instrumental in creating a transcontinental air system that was eventually incorporated into the fledgling Trans-Canada Air Lines (that became Air Canada). The backroom deals in 1937 that cut Canadian Airways out of the transcontinental routes was said to have "broken his heart." He died two years later. Richardson was the 6th Chancellor of Queen's University, elected in 1929 and he served in this post until his death in 1939.

The Richardson legacy

His daughter, Agnes Benidickson, would later become the first female Chancellor of Queen's, and his son James Armstrong Richardson, would become a Trudeau-era Cabinet minister.

In December 2006, the Winnipeg International Airport was renamed Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport in his honour. [Winnipeg Airports Authority, Press release: " [http://www.waa.ca/?pid=25&newsid=0065 Canada's New Government Renames Winnipeg International Airport in Honour of James Armstrong Richardson] ", Access date: 14 December 2006]

The main stadium at Queen's University is named in his honour.

References

;Notes;Bibliography
* Render, Shirley. "Double Cross: The Inside Story of James A. Richardson and the Canadian Airways". Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1999. ISBN 1-55054-722-4.