Born at Hills Green, Willison, as editor of the Toronto Globe (1890-1902), made it the most influential organ of Liberalism in Canada. Disenchanted with the policies of the Laurier ministry, he resigned from the Globe in 1902 and took over the independent Toronto News. His support of the Conservatives in the election of 1911 lost him his Liberal readers and the News ceased publication in 1917, Willison becoming Canadian correspondent for the London Times. Among his several books, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Liberal Party (1903; rev. ed. 1926) is generally considered to be the most significant. He died in Toronto.