The Hon. Ernest C. Drury

Rank:	8th
First Term:	November, 1919 - July, 1923
Predecessor:	William Hearst
Successor:	George Howard Ferguson
Date of Birth:	January 22, 1878
Place of Birth:	Crown Hill, Ontario
Profession:	Farmer
Political Party:	United Farmers of Ontario

Ernest Charles Drury (January 22, 1878-February 17, 1968) was a farmer, politician and writer who served as Premier of Ontario from 1919 to 1923 as the head of a United Farmers of Ontario - Labour coalition government. Drury was a cofounder of the UFO in 1913 but did not run in the 1919 election that returned farmer candidates as the largest bloc in the provincial legislature. Not having a leader, the UFO MPPs asked Drury to lead them. The UFO's 49 MPPs joined with 11 Labour members to form a coalition government and was the first of a wave of United Farmers governments that took power in several provinces and which founded the Progressive Party of Canada.

Drury's progressive government expanded Ontario Hydro, created the Province of Ontario Savings Office - a provincially owned bank which was designed to lend money to farmers at a fair rate, began the first major reforestation program in North America as well as initiating construction of the modern highway system. The government was also a strict enforcer of temperance measures.

The government under Drury tried to be a people's government rather than a class government but in so doing alientated the basis of its support, particularly farmers and the UFO government clashed with the UFO organization (led by James J. Morrison , throughout Drury's term.)

Drury also alienated industrialists and many workers by battling with Sir Adam Beck and his plans for expansion of the province's hydro-electric system. Many labour leaders distrusted a government dominated by farmers feeling that they could not understand the problems of urban workers and Drury's failure to establish fair, wage provisions on government contracts underscored labour's distrust as did his commitment to free trade which threatened the livelihood of industrial workers.

The government was also much harmed by the Ontario Bond Scandal that would eventually see provincial treasurer Peter Smith jailed.

The government was opposed by all the major newspapers in the province with the exception of the Toronto Star and, despite its attempt to broaden its base, was opposed by business.

The Drury government was defeated when it ran for re-election in 1923. Drury retired from politics but ran later as a federal Liberal-Progressive candidate. Unlike many UFOers he never joined either the Liberal Party of Canada or the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation. In 1934 he was appointed sheriff and registrar of Simcoe County, a position he held until 1959, and wrote for magazines such as Maclean's.