Archibald moved to Calgary in 1887. He was active in the community, founding the Calgary neighborhood (then village) of
Crescent Heights. He served on the
YMCA board of directors in Calgary, and became Deacon of the First Baptist Church. Archibald used his community involvement to help win a bitter
by-election for the
Alberta Liberal Party on October 3, 1910, for the Gleichen seat in the
2nd Alberta Legislature against well known incumbent and Calgary
rancher Ezra Riley. McArthur died just a year later, in 1911 vacating his seat in the
Alberta Legislature. His brother
John Peter McArthur ran for the Liberals in Archibald's place, and faced Ezra Riley's brother
Harold Riley in the brothers by-election. ==References==