Samuel Crawford Young was born in Hamilton, Ontario and moved to Winnipeg at the age of 18. He began work for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885, a career that lasted 14 years. Young began as a brakeman and later became a conductor on the Fort William-Ignace-Winnipeg route. In 1899, having been involved in a train accident at Finmark, he decided to leave railroading and enter the insurance and real estate business.
In his years as a City Councillor, Young was a strong proponent of municipal ownership. Elected to his first term as Mayor in 1911, he resigned from the position in May 1912, due to personal interests. He was re-elected in 1914 to serve another two years. Though Young was involved in organized labour, he remained politically independent, and never belonged to, or organized for, any particular political party.
Young had been made Captain in the 96th Lake Superior Regiment in 1906 and commanded company C. When the First World War broke out in 1914, Young was chosen to direct the left half of the 96th Battalion. He was later made commandant for training infantry officers in Western Canada. From May 1917, until the end of the war, he served in France as the Assistant Director of Railways and Docks at Cherbourg.
Young was a member of a number of City commissions including the Fort William Water and Light Commission in 1899, and the Fort William Hydro Commission from 1927 to 1929. He was also named District Police Magistrate in September 1930 and City Police Magistrate in October 1934. He retired in 1935 after suffering a stroke.
Born: September 3, 1865 in Hamilton, Ontario
Died: January 4, 1936 in Fort William, Ontario at the age of 70
Councillor: 1895, 1906-1909
Mayor: 1911-1912 (May), 1914-1915
Previous Mayor: Mayor Louis Lawrence Peltier
Next Mayor: Mayor George Alexander Graham
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