James Balfour

James Balfour (January 4, 1867[1] – after 1931) was an educator, lawyer and political figure in Saskatchewan. He served as mayor of Regina, Saskatchewan in 1915 and 1931.[2]

He was born in Mount Forest, Ontario, the son of William Balfour, a native of Scotland, and Agnes Martin, and was educated there. He taught school in Saskatchewan for a time. In 1883, he went to Calgary, Alberta, where he was employed in lumbering for two years. He returned to Regina in 1885, teaching school there and then in Battleford. He began the study of law in 1892 and was called to the bar for the Northwest Territories in 1895. In 1892, he married Agnes Hayes. In 1911, he was named King's Counsel. He served as a member of the board for the Regina Hospital from 1902 to 1905, as a member of the board for Regina Collegiate Institute for over 15 years and was president of the YMCA from 1907 to 1912.[1]

Balfour Collegiate was named in his honour.

His grandson R. James Balfour later joined the law firm founded by Balfour in 1895 and served in the Canadian House of Commons and Senate.

In late April of 1883 they prepared for the west with carloads of lumber, machinery, some horses but mainly oxen, cows, chickens, some furniture, food for men and animals and then they were on their way. There were Uncle Alex and Aunt Maggie, Uncle Bob and Aunt Nellie, Jack and Jim Balfour(16 and 18 years old), J.S. Ramsay (later Beth and Beattie's dad), Charlie Sherrifs, Jim George and Alex Mutch. There were others who did not stay. And so the folks who were the settlers in the Lumsden District started life in the west. They arrived in Regina and had to haul their goods about 25 miles, to where they all found homesteads. Uncle Jack, Uncle David and Uncle Donald Martin went out later that summer but only Uncle Jack stayed. That winter a Major Walker of Calgary wanted men for the bush so Jack and Jim, Jack Ramsay, some of the Mutchs, Uncle Jack martin and Uncle Alex went to the bush to work. Aunt Maggie went along to cook. They took oxen with them for hauling logs. The others stayed at home to look after the animals and the rest of their things.

They had a splendid winter and came back in early April. Jim Balfour stayed on with Major Walker and did not come back until 1886. In 1885 he was part of an oxtrain that freighted supplies to the army under Colonel Steel for the Reil Rebellion.

This settlement was west of Lumsden. There was no one to the north except one house, built by people named Cowan, which was later Jack and Agnes Grant's. It was on high ground and was the only landmark on the north plain for many years.

Due south of Lumsden settlers came in during the 1880's. There were the Mortons, Jimmy Gilmore and then about 1890 Eddie Carss, George and Robert Dickson, Chris Scott and perhaps, Sid Dolman. To the east there was Renolds – Mr. And Mrs. Renolds, Louis Keil and family, Charles Burgess and family, some of the Purdys, Jeffries and Kinneards. There was also a Mr. Kennedy, from whom we bought our first cow.