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 | Sir John in court uniform after receiving his knighthood, c. 1893 J.J. Talman Regional Collection, University of Western Ontario |
The same year Carling entered the brewery he also entered politics, seeking and winning a school board trusteeship. After four years he was elected to council and, then, in 1857, contested London's seat in the Assembly of the United Canadas. After Confederation, Sir John occupied both the provincial and federal seats until dual representation was discontinued. During his time in the Ontario Legislature he was asked into the Liberal cabinet of John Sandfield Macdonald where he served as Commissioner of Agriculture and Public Works. During his tenure he saw the Agricultural College started and the Muskoka District opened up. After 1871, Carling sat for London continuously in the House of Commons, except for the term 1874-78. He was also the Federal Agricultural Minister for several years (1885-92), where his achievements included bringing W. E. Saunders to Ottawa to start a series of experimental farms with the intent of improving agricultural practices in Canada. Following his apparent defeat by Liberal Charles Hyman in 1891, he was appointed to the Senate which allowed him to remain in Cabinet. Hyman's election was successfully challenged however, and Carling won the by-election. He remained in the House until 1896 after which he returned to the Senate for good. In 1893, he was knighted by Victoria and became the first Londoner (or near Londoner) to be so honoured. Carling was able to use his Cabinet appointments to assist London, bringing Federal offices and buildings to town including a customs house and a post office. He also brought the asylum (now London Psychiatric) to London from Malden in 1870. In 1886 he saw that an infantry school (now Wolseley Barracks) was built in London to house a unit of the Infantry School Corps which, later, became the Royal Canadian Regiment. It may have been just as well that Carling failed in his re-election bid in 1874. While his party languished in opposition dreaming up the National Policy, he focused himself on chairing London's waterworks project which saw a pipeline constructed that brought spring water from a reservoir on Springbank hill into the city. It was completed in January, 1879, just in time to be used to save part of his brewery. After returning from Ottawa, where he lived during most of his years in the Cabinet, Carling occupied a house on the east side of Victoria Park. This house, as well as his first home next to the brewery, and both breweries are all now gone. Sir John Carling died in 1911.
An Historic Sites and Monuments plaque honouring Sir John is in the lobby of City Hall. |
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