John Morison Gibson
Encyclopedia
Sir John Morison Gibson, KCMG, KC (January 1, 1842 – June 3, 1929) was a Canadian
politician
and the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
.
John Morison Gibson, the son of Scottish immigrants, was born in 1842, in Toronto. He grew up on a farm in Caledonia, Ontario, went to Hamilton Central School, in Hamilton, and went on to be educated at the University of Toronto
, as a lawyer. In 1860 he joined The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
and was a Wimbledon marksman in 1874. He became a company director and developed a keen interest in music and art. In 1866, he was a lieutenant in the 13th Battalion, and fought at the Battle of Ridgeway
, defending against the Fenian Raids
. He was a Member of the Legislature from 1879 to 1905 and held the posts of Provincial Secretary
, Commissioner of Crown Lands and Attorney General of Ontario
. Gibson was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
in 1908, and was knighted in 1912. During his mandate, the new Government House in Chorley Park (now demolished) was completed. Gibson served as Lieutenant Governor until 1914. He was one of Hamilton's "5 Johns", who, in 1896, formed the Dominion Power and Transmission Company, that brought hydroelectric power, for the first time, to Hamilton, from their plant, at DeCew Falls. John Dickenson (Ontario MPP) was another of the 5 johns
"One big reason" for almost 75% increase in the population of Hamilton between 1901 and 1912, boasted Sir John Morison Gibson of Dominion Power and Transmission Company, was "Cheap Electric Power Furnished By Us." This simplistic explanation for the development of Hamilton in the early twentieth century leaves much unexamined, but one conclusion cannot be disputed. In the perception of the Hamilton public, a view certainly fostered by Gibson and his fellow hydroelectric promoters, Hamilton was no longer regarded the Birmingham or the Pittsburgh of Canada Hamilton was now, as the title of a 1906 promotional booklet on the city proudly proclaimed, "The Electric City."
After receiving a grant from Andrew Carnegie
of New York the city of Hamilton builds a brand new Library on the south side of Main Street West, across the street from the old Library. It's officially opened by the Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Morison Gibson on May 5, 1913. He was active in many charities, especially the Red Cross and child welfare. He died in Hamilton, Ontario
in 1929.
(north), Main Street East
(south), Wentworth Street
(west) and Sherman Avenue
(east). Landmarks in this neighbourhood include Cathedral High School
, Budget Motor Inn, Barton Library, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, Powell Park and Woodland Park. Gibson Avenue found in this neighbourhood is also named after him.
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is the viceregal representative in Ontario of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
.
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, as a lawyer. In 1860 he joined The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a militia regiment within the Canadian Forces, based in Toronto, Ontario. The regiment is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only Primary Reserve regiment in Canada to have a parachute role. The regiment consists of the reserve...
and was a Wimbledon marksman in 1874. He became a company director and developed a keen interest in music and art. In 1866, he was a lieutenant in the 13th Battalion, and fought at the Battle of Ridgeway
Battle of Ridgeway
The Battle of Ridgeway was fought in the vicinity of the town of Fort Erie across the Niagara River from Buffalo, NY near the village of Ridgeway, Canada West, currently Ontario, Canada on June 2, 1866, between Canadian troops and an irregular army of Irish-American invaders, the Fenians...
, defending against the Fenian Raids
Fenian raids
Between 1866 and 1871, the Fenian raids of the Fenian Brotherhood who were based in the United States; on British army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada, were fought to bring pressure on Britain to withdraw from Ireland. They divided many Catholic Irish-Canadians, many of whom were...
. He was a Member of the Legislature from 1879 to 1905 and held the posts of Provincial Secretary
Provincial Secretary
The Provincial Secretary was a senior position in the executive councils of British North America's colonial governments, and was retained by the Canadian provincial governments for at least a century after Canadian Confederation was proclaimed in 1867...
, Commissioner of Crown Lands and Attorney General of Ontario
Attorney General of Ontario
The Attorney General of Ontario is a senior member of the Executive Council of Ontario and governs the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario - the department responsible for the oversight of the justice system within the province. The Attorney General is an elected Member of Provincial...
. Gibson was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is the viceregal representative in Ontario of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
in 1908, and was knighted in 1912. During his mandate, the new Government House in Chorley Park (now demolished) was completed. Gibson served as Lieutenant Governor until 1914. He was one of Hamilton's "5 Johns", who, in 1896, formed the Dominion Power and Transmission Company, that brought hydroelectric power, for the first time, to Hamilton, from their plant, at DeCew Falls. John Dickenson (Ontario MPP) was another of the 5 johns
"One big reason" for almost 75% increase in the population of Hamilton between 1901 and 1912, boasted Sir John Morison Gibson of Dominion Power and Transmission Company, was "Cheap Electric Power Furnished By Us." This simplistic explanation for the development of Hamilton in the early twentieth century leaves much unexamined, but one conclusion cannot be disputed. In the perception of the Hamilton public, a view certainly fostered by Gibson and his fellow hydroelectric promoters, Hamilton was no longer regarded the Birmingham or the Pittsburgh of Canada Hamilton was now, as the title of a 1906 promotional booklet on the city proudly proclaimed, "The Electric City."
After receiving a grant from Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
of New York the city of Hamilton builds a brand new Library on the south side of Main Street West, across the street from the old Library. It's officially opened by the Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Morison Gibson on May 5, 1913. He was active in many charities, especially the Red Cross and child welfare. He died in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
in 1929.
Tribute
The Gibson neighbourhood in Hamilton is named after him. it is bounded by Barton Street EastBarton Street (Hamilton, Ontario)
Barton Street is an arterial road in the Lower City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It's also the longest street in the city. It starts off at the Western end of town at Locke Street North and is a two-way street that stretches eastward through a number of different and varied communities in the...
(north), Main Street East
Main Street (Hamilton, Ontario)
Main Street, is a Lower City arterial road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It starts east of Wilson Street in Ancaster at White Chapel Cemetery as a two-way street and switches over to a one-way street at Paradise Road South, in Westdale, where it continues up to the Delta where it once again...
(south), Wentworth Street
Wentworth Street (Hamilton, Ontario)
Wentworth Street, is a Lower City arterial road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It starts off at the base of the Niagara Escarpment on Charlton Avenue East just before the CP lines as a two-way street for 2-blocks up past Cumberland Avenue up to Rutherford Avenue where it then switches over to a...
(west) and Sherman Avenue
Sherman Avenue (Hamilton, Ontario)
Sherman Avenue, is a Lower City collector road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It starts off at the base of the Niagara Escarpment just south of Cumberland Avenue and is a one-way street northbound that cuts through the city's North End industrial neighbourhood and ends at Ship Street, the site of...
(east). Landmarks in this neighbourhood include Cathedral High School
Cathedral High School (Hamilton, Ontario)
Cathedral High School is an inner city public Roman Catholic high school in Hamilton, Ontario, under the jurisdiction of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board. Cathedral High School dates back to 1912, when high school classes where offered to the youth of Hamilton by the Hamilton...
, Budget Motor Inn, Barton Library, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, Powell Park and Woodland Park. Gibson Avenue found in this neighbourhood is also named after him.