Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Branch: 8th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops
James was born in Brantford, Ontario on October 29, 1871. He came to the Peace River country in 1902, and served as MLA for the district from 1909 until 1913 and was a great promoter of development in the region. James married Evelyn Tierney in Calgary in 1908. Prior to serving in the Canadian army during World War I, James served in South America. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order by George V in January of 1918, and also received the Croix de Guerre from the French government in November of 1918. James’s homesteads were located at 10-71-1-W5, 7-80-4-W6, and 14-73-6-W5. He died in Edmonton on November 20, 1955 and was buried in the Field of Honour in the Burnsland Cemetery.
Sources: LaGlace p. 2; Grande Prairie Capitol of the Peace p. 2, 3; Pioneers of the Peace 37, 63, 405; Lake Saskatoon Reflections p. 2, 37, 77; Edson to Grande Prairie Trail, various pages