The son of a manufacturer, Wilson's family had extensive business interests in the area of Picton, Ontario.

Wilson interested himself in civic activities in Edmonton, and eventually ran for town mayor, winning election in 1895.

Additionally, he served as a councillor and mayor of Picton, and was a good friend of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald.

[4] Wilson moved west to the town of Edmonton in the North-West Territories in 1882 and, shortly after arriving, became active in the local community.

[5] Pressed for time by his recent marriage to Emily Lee earlier in the year, an increase in practice due to the town's rapid population growth and his increasing political roles, Wilson sold his drug store in 1886 to Philip Daly, who himself later was a town alderman, .

[7] In 1886, Wilson, along with William Dell Perley and James Hamilton Ross, was part of a delegation sent to Ottawa by the North-West Territories to deliver a council-agreed reply to the Speech from the throne.

It was commonly assumed that James H. Ross would be the first speaker, but Wilson's name was mentioned for the position and it was decided to hold a vote.

[9] In 1888, Lieutenant Governor Joseph Royal presented Wilson with a petition against the controversial election of Hillyard Mitchell, member for Batoche, over opponent George L.

[9] On November 30, 1888, Wilson hosted a dinner for members and other guests in a hotel in Regina, the "first of the kind in the history of the North-West Legislative Assembly".

[12] In 1894, along with 5 other physicians, he sent a letter to Vital-Justin Grandin to support the building of a general hospital by the Grey Nuns, which was opened on December 15 of the next year.

[12] Wilson was acclaimed mayor in 1896, but resigned in October the same year due to a dispute over town funds, stating "I regret very much that this simple affair has assumed such a disgraceful form [and] had to be fought out in the manner".

[12] He attempted a comeback in 1904 by running for alderman for the newly formed City of Edmonton, but he was defeated, finishing fourteenth of seventeen candidates.

[12] In Toronto, on September 15, 1886, he married Emily Charlotte Lee in a traditional ceremony at St. Peter's Anglican Church.

The Wilsons were friends of many notable early leading Canadian figures, such as Father Albert Lacombe, Charles Tupper, and Amédée Forget.

Charles Wilson Jr served in the 49th Battalion, and was killed in action at the Battle of Sanctuary Wood in 1916.

[13] Wilson's funeral, which was held on December 19, had a procession that "extended for half a mile [and comprised] nearly one-hundred vehicles".