William Arthur Begg

(1882.07.15 – 1924.08.30)
B.A.Sc, DLS, SLS
Commission #031
(1911.03.15)

We regret to have to report the loss of our esteemed member in the person of William Arthur Begg who died at his residence in Regina on August 30th 1924.

He was born in Milgrove, Ontario in 1882, the son of William Begg and Maria Foster Begg, both natives of Ontario. William Begg homesteaded in Ontario in 1844.

William A Begg obtained his early education at the high school in Dundas Ontario, and graduated with the degree of B. A. Sc. of the Faculty of Applied Science of Toronto University in 1906. He was married in 1911 to Miss Nellie L. Neff a native of West Flamboro, Ontario. They became the parents of four children: Phyllis, Mildred, Robert and John.

After graduating from Toronto University he began hie professional career as a surveyor and later as a geologist for the Bureau of Mines, Ontario, spending six years in mining and exploring in the northern parts of Ontario and Quebec. During this period in 1909 he obtained hie commission as a Dominion Land Surveyor. In 1910 he came to Regina as Drainage Engineer for the Department of Highways. In 1911 he was appointed Town Site Inspector for this department. In 1919 he was transferred to the Department of Municipal affairs as Town Planning Engineer, and in 1921 he became Director of Town planning for the Province. Thus since 1911 he had been associated with town planning and rural development work in the province of Saskatchewan, and thus became the leading authority on this important work in the province. His service in this connection was recognized by his election to the office of Vice-President of the Town Planning Institute of Canada. He was an Associate Member of the Engineering Institute of Canada. Mr.

Begg obtained his commission as Saskatchewan Land Surveyor in March 1911, and since that date to the time of his death was one of the most active members of the Saskatchewan Land Surveyors Association. He was elected Councilor of the Association at the first annual meeting in 1911 and Secretary Treasurer in 1912, thus holding this position during that important year when the Saskatchewan Land Surveyors Association was first incorporated. He was Secretary of the Board of Examiners in 1913, elected a councilor in March 1913, Vice President in 1914 and was President of the Association in 1915 and was again counsilor in 1919 and 1923. During the period from 1914 to 1922 he was Convenor of the Committee on Town Planning and Development.

(SLSA Biography Committee)