Sometimes known as the angriest Father of Confederation, Edward Whelan came to PEI via Halifax, to which he emigrated from Ireland with his mother in 1831. After gaining newspaper experience in Halifax at the hand of Joseph Howe, Whelan moved to the Island at age 19 and started his own newspaper, The Palladium. Whelan’s political life spanned 21 years, ending shortly before his death in 1867, following an electoral defeat blamed largely on is pro-Confederation stance. He was a leading player in the George Coles government. Whelan was married twice and had four children, only one of whom survived him.
We wish to acknowledge the Dictionary of Canadian Biography as one of the main sources of our information. Read the Whelan biography here.
The photo of Edward Whelan courtesy of the Benevolent Irish Society of Prince Edward Island.
