Charles Augustus Semlin
Encyclopedia
Charles Augustus Semlin was a British Columbia
politician.
Born near Barrie
, Upper Canada
, Semlin worked there as a schoolteacher until 1862 when he moved to British Columbia
during the gold rush
to become a prospector
. In 1869 he purchased the Dominion Ranch and became a rancher. He entered politics when British Columbia became a province
of Canada
, in 1871, winning a seat in the provincial legislature
in 1871. While in politics Semlin was instrumental in the building and operating of a boarding school in Cache Creek. The site was chosen there as Cache Creek was the mid point between the north Cariboo and the south.He lost his seat in 1875 but returned to the assembly in 1882. In 1894 he became leader of the opposition
and finally the 12th Premier of British Columbia
in August 1898. His government lasted only two years and resigned to make way for the rump regime of Joseph Martin
, who was defeated in the election of 1900.
He died in 1927 in Cache Creek, British Columbia
.
railway-point name Semlin, on the south bank the Thompson River
near Cache Creek and in the name of the Semlin Valley which stretches east from Cache Creek on the north side of the Thompson, and is the route of the Trans-Canada Highway
today. It was the location of his Dominion Ranch.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
politician.
Born near Barrie
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
, Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
, Semlin worked there as a schoolteacher until 1862 when he moved to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
during the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
to become a prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
. In 1869 he purchased the Dominion Ranch and became a rancher. He entered politics when British Columbia became a province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in 1871, winning a seat in the provincial legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
in 1871. While in politics Semlin was instrumental in the building and operating of a boarding school in Cache Creek. The site was chosen there as Cache Creek was the mid point between the north Cariboo and the south.He lost his seat in 1875 but returned to the assembly in 1882. In 1894 he became leader of the opposition
Leader of the Opposition (British Columbia)
The Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia is the MLA in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia who leads the political party recognized as the Official Opposition. This status generally goes to the leader of the second largest party in the Legislative Assembly....
and finally the 12th Premier of British Columbia
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
in August 1898. His government lasted only two years and resigned to make way for the rump regime of Joseph Martin
Joseph Martin (Canadian politician)
Joseph Martin was a lawyer and politician in Manitoba, British Columbia and the United Kingdom often referred to as "Fighting Joe".-Early life:...
, who was defeated in the election of 1900.
He died in 1927 in Cache Creek, British Columbia
Cache Creek, British Columbia
Cache Creek is a junction community northeast of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. It is on the Trans-Canada Highway in the province of British Columbia at its junction with northbound Highway 97...
.
Legacy
His name features in the Cache Creek area in the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
railway-point name Semlin, on the south bank the Thompson River
Thompson River
The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson...
near Cache Creek and in the name of the Semlin Valley which stretches east from Cache Creek on the north side of the Thompson, and is the route of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
today. It was the location of his Dominion Ranch.