Article

William Charles Good

Published Online May 15, 2008

Last Edited December 16, 2013

William Charles Good, farmer, co-operative and agrarian leader (b near Brantford, Ont 24 Feb 1876; d at Paris, Ont 16 Nov 1967). A student of social and religious issues and a member of a family long involved in farm organizations, Good was on the executive of the Farmers' Association in 1904.

William Charles Good

William Charles Good, farmer, co-operative and agrarian leader (b near Brantford, Ont 24 Feb 1876; d at Paris, Ont 16 Nov 1967). A student of social and religious issues and a member of a family long involved in farm organizations, Good was on the executive of the Farmers' Association in 1904. In 1907 he helped amalgamate the association with the Dominion Grange and became president of the new organization in 1912.

A proponent of the need for farmer unity, Good, with E.A. PARTRIDGE and E.C. DRURY, drafted the constitution of the Canadian Council of Agriculture in 1909. In 1914 he helped organize the United Farmers of Ontario and the United Farmers' Co-operative. Good was a leader of the PROGRESSIVE PARTY and sat as an Independent-Progressive in the Commons 1921-25, where he advocated electoral reform, banking reform, temperance and tariff reform. Elected president of the Co-operative Union of Canada in 1921, he held that post until 1945. Philosophically committed to a co-operative world view, he encouraged all forms of co-operative organizations (seeCO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT).