Donald Chisholm
Encyclopedia
Donald Chisholm also known as "Doc" Chisholm, was a Canadian Member of Parliament
from British Columbia
, representing the riding of New Westminster
.
Chisholm was born in valley of the Lower South River near Antigonish, Nova Scotia
, of parents who had migrated there from Inverness-shire
, Scotland
. He was educated there and became a teacher, but in 1849 he started out for the California Gold Rush
with 23 other prospectors. In California, he took part in the evolution of that state's mining laws, but had little success in the goldfields but also practiced medicine, and is credited with rescuing the lives of many miners (his medical skills were later of use during a cholera epidemic in British Columbia). Staying in California only a few years, he returned to Canada and became involved in the wheat trade in Ontario. Speculating on wheat prices during the Crimean War
, Chisholm was left holding thousands of bushels at the time of the declaration of a peace, incurring the loss of a small fortune had the peace come only a few more weeks later.
In the wake of this experience, he migrated to British Columbia in 1858 and became involved in many different businesses, settling in Hope, British Columbia
. Possessed of "herculean strength" and standing 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) tall, and reputedly the strongest man in the Colony, he was appointed a constable during the McGowan's War
and in 1860 he was elected by the people of Hope to a convention in New Westminster
, the purpose of which was to frame and present an appeal to the Imperial Government to introduce proper government for the Mainland Colony
, which was then still ruled near-entirely by Governor James Douglas
(a Legislative Assembly for the Colony would not be created until 1864, after Douglas' retirement).
Chisholm was among the first parties to travel to the Big Bend Gold Rush
in 1860, nearly losing his life when a snow bridge
gave way as he was crossing McCullough Creek and he was swept away, then rescued, unconscious, by a party of miners half a mile downstream. In 1862 he went to the Cariboo Gold Rush
and spent a few years there before moving to the Kootenay
district to engage in both lumbering and mining, serving for a time as foreman for the Cherry Creek silver mine. During this period Chisholm was engaged to lead the partyof Major-General Selby Smyth
, militia commander of Canada
, and his staff through the mountains from Alberta to Hope.
In 1874 he moved to New Westminster and became wealthy through investing in the wholesale and retail liquor business and also a flour and feed business of a Mr. Fred Woodcock, and was President of the New Westminster Board of Trade for several years. He also launched a hotel and store at Ladner
(then Ladner's Landing), later owned by Thomas NcNeely, and was also a partner in the Delta Canning Company, one of the large canneries then a mainstay of economic life in the province. Other property holdings included land in what is now the Grandview area of Vancouver, and at Hastings (New Brighton
), as well as holdings in the centre of the City of New Westminster and also, in parternership with a Mr. Daniel Mills was co-owner of a large farm on Saltspring Island
.
Chisholm was first elected to office in the 1887 general election
, representing the New Westminster riding
as a Liberal-Conservative supporting Sir John A. Macdonald
, and died in office on April 5, 1890.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from 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...
, representing the riding of New Westminster
New Westminster (electoral district)
New Westminster was a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1979....
.
Chisholm was born in valley of the Lower South River near Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Antigonish is a Canadian town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous highland games in North America.-History:...
, of parents who had migrated there from Inverness-shire
Inverness-shire
The County of Inverness or Inverness-shire was a general purpose county of Scotland, with the burgh of Inverness as the county town, until 1975, when, under the Local Government Act 1973, the county area was divided between the two-tier Highland region and the unitary Western Isles. The Highland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was educated there and became a teacher, but in 1849 he started out for the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
with 23 other prospectors. In California, he took part in the evolution of that state's mining laws, but had little success in the goldfields but also practiced medicine, and is credited with rescuing the lives of many miners (his medical skills were later of use during a cholera epidemic in British Columbia). Staying in California only a few years, he returned to Canada and became involved in the wheat trade in Ontario. Speculating on wheat prices during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, Chisholm was left holding thousands of bushels at the time of the declaration of a peace, incurring the loss of a small fortune had the peace come only a few more weeks later.
In the wake of this experience, he migrated to British Columbia in 1858 and became involved in many different businesses, settling in Hope, British Columbia
Hope, British Columbia
Hope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
. Possessed of "herculean strength" and standing 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) tall, and reputedly the strongest man in the Colony, he was appointed a constable during the McGowan's War
McGowan's War
McGowan's War was a bloodless war that took place in Yale, British Columbia in the fall of 1858. The conflict posed a threat to the newly-minted British authority on the British Columbia mainland, which had only just been declared a colony the previous summer, at the onset of the Fraser Canyon Gold...
and in 1860 he was elected by the people of Hope to a convention in New Westminster
New Westminster, British Columbia
New Westminster is an historically important city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and is a member municipality of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. It was founded as the capital of the Colony of British Columbia ....
, the purpose of which was to frame and present an appeal to the Imperial Government to introduce proper government for the Mainland Colony
Colony of British Columbia
The Colony of British Columbia was a crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1866. At its creation, it physically constituted approximately half the present day Canadian province of British Columbia, since it did not include the Colony of Vancouver Island, the vast and still largely...
, which was then still ruled near-entirely by Governor James Douglas
James Douglas (Governor)
Sir James Douglas KCB was a company fur-trader and a British colonial governor on Vancouver Island in northwestern North America, particularly in what is now British Columbia. Douglas worked for the North West Company, and later for the Hudson's Bay Company becoming a high-ranking company officer...
(a Legislative Assembly for the Colony would not be created until 1864, after Douglas' retirement).
Chisholm was among the first parties to travel to the Big Bend Gold Rush
Big Bend Gold Rush
The Big Bend Gold Rush was a gold rush on the upper Columbia River in the Colony of British Columbia in the mid-1860s....
in 1860, nearly losing his life when a snow bridge
Snow bridge
Snow bridge is an arc across a crevasse, a crack in rock, a creek, or some other opening in terrain. It is typically formed by snow drift, which first creates a cornice, which may gradually grow to reach the other side of the opening.-Dangers:...
gave way as he was crossing McCullough Creek and he was swept away, then rescued, unconscious, by a party of miners half a mile downstream. In 1862 he went to the Cariboo Gold Rush
Cariboo Gold Rush
The Cariboo Gold Rush was a gold rush in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Although the first gold discovery was made in 1859 at Horsefly Creek, followed by more strikes at Keithley Creek and Antler Horns lake in 1860, the actual rush did not begin until 1861, when these discoveries were...
and spent a few years there before moving to the Kootenay
Kootenays
The Kootenay Region comprises the southeastern portion of British Columbia. It takes its name from the Kootenay River, which in turn was named for the Ktunaxa First Nation first encountered by explorer David Thompson.-Boundaries:The Kootenays are more or less defined by the Kootenay Land...
district to engage in both lumbering and mining, serving for a time as foreman for the Cherry Creek silver mine. During this period Chisholm was engaged to lead the partyof Major-General Selby Smyth
Edward Selby Smyth
General Sir Edward Selby Smyth, was a British General. He served as first General Officer Commanding the Militia of Canada from 1874 to 1880.-Military career:...
, militia commander of Canada
General Officer Commanding the Forces (Canada)
The General Officer Commanding the Forces was the most senior member of the Canadian Army from 1875 until 1904. With to the withdrawal of the majority of British forces in Canada in 1906, the position was replaced by the Chief of the General Staff which title was used until 1964 when the...
, and his staff through the mountains from Alberta to Hope.
In 1874 he moved to New Westminster and became wealthy through investing in the wholesale and retail liquor business and also a flour and feed business of a Mr. Fred Woodcock, and was President of the New Westminster Board of Trade for several years. He also launched a hotel and store at Ladner
Ladner, British Columbia
Ladner was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. It is a part of the Municipality of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver....
(then Ladner's Landing), later owned by Thomas NcNeely, and was also a partner in the Delta Canning Company, one of the large canneries then a mainstay of economic life in the province. Other property holdings included land in what is now the Grandview area of Vancouver, and at Hastings (New Brighton
New Brighton
-Canada:* New Brighton, Calgary, Alberta, a neighborhood* New Brighton , a settlement in British Columbia-United Kingdom:* New Brighton, Merseyside, a seaside resort in Wallasey, England**New Brighton A.F.C., the current football club...
), as well as holdings in the centre of the City of New Westminster and also, in parternership with a Mr. Daniel Mills was co-owner of a large farm on Saltspring Island
Saltspring Island
Saltspring Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia, Canada and Vancouver Island. It is the largest, the most populous, and the most frequently visited of the Gulf Islands...
.
Chisholm was first elected to office in the 1887 general election
Canadian federal election, 1887
The Canadian federal election of 1887 was held on February 22, 1887 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 6th Parliament of Canada.The Conservative Party of Prime Minister Sir John A...
, representing the New Westminster riding
New Westminster (electoral district)
New Westminster was a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1979....
as a Liberal-Conservative supporting Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
, and died in office on April 5, 1890.