ALEX YOUNG.
 


	Alex Young, founder and head of the Alex Young Company, Limited,
a cut stone and monumental stone works concern, came to Regina to take
charge of the stone cutting work in connection with the erection of the
Saskatchewan parliament buildings. At that time he was a comparative
stranger in Canada, for he had landed in Montreal in the spring of 1904
and spent about a year in that city and Winnipeg. He had learned his
trade in Scotland, where he was born in 1879, the son of Andrew and
Jane (Brown) Young.  His mother died when he was still an infant.
His father, an engineer and blacksmith by occupation, lived in Scotland
all of his life and passed away in 1902. Andrew Young's father was a
school teacher, who came from the famous town of Straven and his
mother attained the distinction of living to celebrate her ninety-second
birthday. The Youngs were strict Presbyterians, who lived in the severity
and simplicity traditionally ascribed to the Scotch people of that faith.
	Alex Young was educated in the public schools and in the Hamilton
Academy at Hamanton, Scotland, following which he learned his trade as
a stonecutter. In the technical school at Glasgow he took first prize for
stonecutting and bricklaying. For a few years after mastering his trade
he traveled about England and Scotland, working' as a stonecutter and
mason wherever big buildings were being erected.  He came out to
Canada in the spring of 1904. Landing in Montreal in May, he found
himself without funds to journey farther, so he set about looking for a
job. After working at his trade for six weeks or so he had saved enough
money to pay for his transportation to Winnipeg, where he obtained a po-
sition as foreman on the construction work of the Canadian Pacific Rail-
way station and hotel. By July of that year he had a hundred stonecutters
working under his direction. At the close of the year, however, the men
went out on a strike, and as Mr. Young was in sympathy with their
grievances, he went with them. When the labor adjustments were settled
the company refused to reinstate Mr. Young, so he came on to Regina.
The parliament buildings were just being erected in this city at that time,
so the young stonecutter was not long in finding good use for his abilities.
As a foreman he took charge of the work on the building that had to do
with stone masonry.  Before the work was completed, however, he left
the job to go into business for himself. He established the Alex Young
Company, Limited, which has a large business in stonecutting.  Mr.
Young does the stone work for the Regina city and the provincial gov-
ernment buildings.  He has made a wide reputation by his excellent
work and holds a secure place in the building trades of the province. In
connection with his stonecutting business he has been developing a trade
in monumental stone that is prospering steadily and will soon be an
important feature of his establishment.
	In 1906 Mr. Young was united in marriage to Miss Isabella McMillin,
who was born and educated at Cryston, Scotland. They have become the
parents of six children: Alex, a student in the Collegiate Institute; Robert,
Jimmie, Andrew and Margaret, who are all in school; and a little lad of
three and a half years, named Walter.
	Mr. and Mrs. Young are members of the Presbyterian church and Mr.
Young is identified with the blue lodge of the Masonic order, the Benevo-
lent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Canadian Order of Foresters.
He has always been an advocate of athletics, which he believes tend to
develop a spirit of cooperation and good. sportsmanship, as well as physi
cal vigor. In civic affairs he has shown his public-spiritedness by serv-
ing on the city council for six year~from 1914 to 1920-and aiding in
the work of other public and semi-public bodies. He is a Rotarian and
at present is one of the governors on the board of the General HospitaL
His position as chairman of the vocational board is one for which he 15
especially suited by ability and experience. There are probably few men
in Regina who know so well as Mr. Young the problems and opportunities
of the highly skilled craftsman and are, therefore, in a position to give
real assistance to those needing vocational guidance.

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