James Reid (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
James Reid was a Canadian entrepreneur and parliamentarian from British Columbia
.
Reid was born in Wakefield, Lower Canada
, the son of James Reid and Ann Maxwell, and was educated in Hull, Quebec
and Ottawa
. He moved to British Columbia in 1862, with a cousin, nearly perishing on the trip to the northern Cariboo region
. Reid eventually prospered as a miner and established his own business empire in Quesnellemouth
(now Quesnel). In 1883, he married Charlotte Clarke. Reid’s business included saw and flour mills, mining operations, riverboat construction and the main general store in Quesnel. Reid owned his own riverboat, the Charlotte
which was one of the main supply vessels into the area.
Reid was elected to Member of Parliament
for Cariboo
as a Liberal-Conservative
in an 1881 by-election
on the death of incumbent MP Joshua Spencer Thompson
. He was acclaimed in the following federal election
and re-elected in 1887
. Prime Minister Macdonald
appointed Reid to the Senate
in 1888. He held that office until his death in Vancouver in 1904.
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...
.
Reid was born in Wakefield, Lower Canada
Wakefield, Quebec
Wakefield is a village on the western shore of the Gatineau River, at the confluence of the La Pêche River in the Outaouais region of Quebec. The village, named after the town of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, is now the southern edge of the municipality of La Pêche, and was founded in 1830...
, the son of James Reid and Ann Maxwell, and was educated in Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
and Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. He moved to British Columbia in 1862, with a cousin, nearly perishing on the trip to the northern Cariboo region
Cariboo
The Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia along a plateau stretching from the Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the woodland caribou that were once abundant in the region...
. Reid eventually prospered as a miner and established his own business empire in Quesnellemouth
Quesnel, British Columbia
-Demographics:Quesnel had a population of 9,326 people in 2006, which was a decrease of 7.1% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Quesnel was $54,044, which is slightly above the British Columbia provincial average of $52,709....
(now Quesnel). In 1883, he married Charlotte Clarke. Reid’s business included saw and flour mills, mining operations, riverboat construction and the main general store in Quesnel. Reid owned his own riverboat, the Charlotte
Charlotte (sternwheeler)
The Charlotte sternwheeler was built in 1896 by Alexander Watson for the Northern British Columbia Navigation Company. The partners of the NBCNC were Stephen Tingley, Senator James Reid and John Irving...
which was one of the main supply vessels into the area.
Reid was elected to Member of Parliament
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,...
for Cariboo
Cariboo (electoral district)
Cariboo was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1892.This riding was first created as Cariboo District following British Columbia's admission into the Canadian Confederation in 1871...
as a Liberal-Conservative
Liberal-Conservative Party
The Liberal-Conservative Party was the formal name of the Conservative Party of Canada until 1873, although some Conservative candidates continued to run under the label as late as the 1911 election and others ran as simple Conservatives prior to 1873...
in an 1881 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
on the death of incumbent MP Joshua Spencer Thompson
Joshua Spencer Thompson
Joshua Spencer Thompson was a Canadian journalist and politician.Born in Belfast, Ireland, Thompson emigrated to British Columbia in 1858. Thompson was a journalist and accountant prior to becoming an MP...
. He was acclaimed in the following federal election
Canadian federal election, 1882
The Canadian federal election of 1882 was held on June 20, 1882 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 5th Parliament of Canada.Prime Minister Sir John A...
and re-elected in 1887
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...
. Prime Minister 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...
appointed Reid to the Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
in 1888. He held that office until his death in Vancouver in 1904.