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Was born on August 10th 1833 in London township of Upper Canada, he was the youngest son of Banlet, and Mary Sifton.  
 
His ancestors moved from England to Ireland at the time of the Conquest: they emigrated to Canada in 1832.  
 
He received his education at common, and Grammar Schools in London.  
 
He farmed until 1860, and became interested in railway construction. In 1872 he was engaged in private banking under the firm name of Taylor, and Sifton.  
 
In 1875 he moved to Manitoba, and took up residence in Selkirk where he became Justice of the Peace. He obtained contracts in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and his firm, Sifton, Ward & Co. built the rail sections from Port Arthur to Shebandowan, and from Selkirk to Cross Lake.  
 
He built the government telegraph line from Winnipeg to Fort Pelly, and from Selkirk to Rat Portage (Kenora).  
 
In 1881 he moved to Manitoba, and took up residence near Brandon where he operated a large farm. He served for two terms as Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Wallace.  
 
He then moved to California for two years. Later returning to Brandon, he became Superintendent of the Boys’ Home, it only had one boy, and was turned into the Brandon Mental Health Centre after one year, and he was made Deputy Minister of Public Works in the government of Thomas Greenway.  
 
He held the position of inspector of public institutions, until the change of government took place.  
 
In 1878 he held his first seat in the Manitoba Legislature as Member for St. Clements, and in 1879 he was chosen Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.  
 
In 1878 he was nominated by the Liberals to oppose Dr. John Christian Schultz as candidate for the Federal constituency of Selkirk, and continued the contest to the day of nomination then withdrew, as the Conservative party had a large majority in the rest of Canada.  
 
As a result of the 1881 election, he received 312 votes over C. R. Tuttle (245), Major J. Rogers (145), and Robert Currie (119) he served another term in the Legislature as the first representative of the new Brandon constituency, which was formed after the extension of the Manitoba boundary.  
 
In 1902 he became Vice-President of the Manitoba Free Press Company, and President after the death of John Mather, holding this office until his own death. He was an enthusiastic advocate of Temperance, and Prohibition, and for four years was President of the Manitoba branch of the Dominion Alliance, and strongly favoured the passing of the Canada Temperance Act.  
 
In 1853 he married Kate Watkins. They had five children, among who were Clifford Sifton, and Arthur Lewis Sifton.  
 
Mr. Sifton died in Winnipeg on 19 September 1912.  
 
The Rural Municipality of Sifton commemorates him.  
 
Source: from The Canadian parliamentary companion and annual register, 1881 / edited by C.H. Mackintosh.)