GEORGE FORSYTH.
 


	George Forsyth, one of Regina's prominent citizens and business men,
now retired from active life, made his first acquaintance with this pro-
vince and that of Alberta forty years ago, when he drove over much of
this region in a buckboard.  At that time he was representing the A.
Harris Son & Company implement company in western Canada and jour-
neyed from place to place in this vehicle that has long since disappeared
before the advance of the railway and the motor-driven car.  Twenty
years later, in 1903, he located in Regina permanently and has since made
this city his home and place of business.  He was born near Brantford,
Ontario, on the 22d of October, 1849, of Scotch parentage, his father and
mother, William and Fannie (Black) Forsyth, having been natives of
Aberdeen. They immigrated to Ontario about the year 1833. There the
father secured a farm, which he operated for many years and called his
home until his death at the venerable age of eighty-two.  True to their
Scotch training the Forsyths were stanch Presbyterians, while the father
was a Liberal in his political views.  George was the youngest of the
family of six children and is today the sole surviving member.
	George Forsyth was educated in the schools of Saint George, follow-
ing which he learned the trade of a machinist.  Somewhat later he en-
gaged in the mercantile business in Saint George, continuing in it for five
years. He came west as far as Winnipeg in January of 1882, after hav-
ing first disposed of his business in Saint George, and there established
a connection with the A. Harris Son & Company implement company,
that was destined to last for forty years. During that time he never lost
a day's work, a truly unusual record for any man to make in the business
world.  In 1883 and 1884 he traveled about the part of the Northwest 
Territories now known as Saskatchewan and Alberta, in the interests of 
his firm.  He spent two years abroad, going to England, Germany and
the Argentine. In 1903 he came to Regina to open up the business in this
territory for his concern, holding the position of manager for seventeen
years. Here the company is known as the Massey Harris Company. In
1920 Mr. Forsyth resigned the position of manager to retire and enjoy
the fruits of a well-spent life. As the result of years of effort and wise
investments he has amassed a competence that testifies to his ability as
a business man. In addition to a block of valuable stock in the Massey
Harris Company, he has holdings in the Canadian Pacific Railway and
the Great-West Life Insurance Company. He was one of the first men
to buy the stock in the last named company. Coming to this city as he
did twenty years ago, when it was just entering upon a period of re
markable growth and development, Mr. Forsyth had the opportunity to
invest in city property when it was still selling at a comparatively low
figure. Like most of the men who came here with an unwavering faith	
in the future of the province and especially of its capital, he bought pieces
of property from time to time, all of which have increased greatly in
value in the past years. He still holds much of this real estate and by
improving it has been of substantial assistance in the development of the
entire city.
	Mr. Forsyth was married to Miss Margaret McLean, a native of On
tario, who died in 1893, leaving two children:  Earl, who is connected
with the Massey Harris Company at Yorkton, Saskatchewan; and Mar
garet, who lives at home.  In 1896 Mr. Forsyth was married to Miss
Eliza Snowball, who was born in Saint George, Ontario. The family is
affiliated with the Westminster Presbyterian church of Regina. Mr.
Forsyth's political sympathies are with the Liberal party and fraternally
he is a Mason. During his residence in Saint George he was secretary
of the lodge there.	
	During the long years he has been in western Canada, Mr. Forsyth
has been the witness of a marvelous change: From the most primitive of
pioneer conditions to a thriving agricultural region, served by numerous
railroads, with towns and cities everywhere and factories and other in
dustries springing up to meet the needs of a rapidly increasing popula-
tion.  He is one of the few men now living in Regina who can recall	
the events of the very early days as an eye-witness. Among the figures
In the history of this region whom he remembers clearly is Louis Riel, the
instigator of the Rebellion of the '80s.  In 1884 Mr. Forsyth went to
Prince Albert from Selkirk by boat and there was present at Riel's first
meeting. Subsequently he met him a number of times.




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