=Kennedy, William Costello=, Member for North Essex in the House of Commons of Canada, is a resident of Windsor, Ont., and a prominent figure in the oil and gas industry of the Essex Peninsula. He was born at Ottawa, Ont., August 27, 1868, the son of William and Julia (Costello) Kennedy. While he was yet a boy his parents moved to Toronto to reside and he was educated in the Separate Schools and De La Salle Institute, of that city. He began his business career in 1887 as a clerk in the offices of the London and Canadian Loan and Agency Company, Toronto, at that time one of the best known financial corporations of the province. With this company he remained until 1897 when he accepted an offer to go to Windsor, Ont., and engage in the oil and natural gas industry. In 1903 he became President of the Windsor Gas Company and continued in that office until 1917. At the present time he has many interests in the city of his adoption. He was President of the Board of Trade for the years 1909 and 1910, and a member of the Windsor Board of Education from 1913 to 1918; and also a councillor of the municipality of Ojibway during the same period. From early manhood Mr. Kennedy had been a Liberal in politics and in 1917 when Sir Robert Borden formed a Union Government and decided to carry out the policy of conscription without submitting the question to the Canadian people through the medium of a referendum, he was one of those Liberals who stood back of Sir Wilfrid Laurier in opposing such a course. Though at the time it was supposed that he was facing almost certain defeat he accepted the Liberal nomination for North Essex. He was opposed by Col. Wigle, who was generally regarded as a very strong candidate. In the two months’ campaign that ensued Mr. Kennedy made many friends by his sane and reasonable methods of electioneering and when the ballots were counted on December 17, 1917, it was found that he had been elected by a handsome majority, which was not annulled by the vote of the soldiers overseas, details of which were received later. During the parliamentary session Mr. Kennedy made his maiden speech as a legislator in the budget debate, and made a very fine impression on friends and political opponents alike by his brilliant handling of financial questions. Old parliamentarians were agreed that it was one of the most promising initial speeches ever made at Ottawa, and ever since the member for North Essex has been regarded as an important factor in the future of his party. His recreations are golf and motoring, and he is a member of the following clubs: Detroit, Detroit Athletic, Essex County Golf, Windsor and Ontario, Toronto. In religion he is a Roman Catholic and on May 8, 1907, married Glencora, daughter of George W. Bolton, Detroit, Michigan.