Premier Range
Encyclopedia
The Premier Range is a group of mountains within the Cariboo Mountains
of east-central British Columbia
, Canada
. The range (also known as the Premier Group) is bounded by the Rausch River and Kiwa Creek to the north, the North Thompson River on the south and west and the Fraser River
and its tributaries to the east.
In 1927, the year of Canada's Diamond Jubilee
, it was decided that the names of the higher peaks in this range would be reserved to pay tribute to prime ministers of Canada
, prime ministers of the United Kingdom, and premiers of the province of British Columbia
. In practice, however, only one British prime minister and one British Columbia premier have been so honoured, and recent changes to Canadian geographic naming regulations make it unlikely that any British prime minister or other non-Canadian will receive such an honour in the future.
The named summits of the Premier Range are, in order of elevation:
Before the Premier Range was selected, many mountains outside this area were named after Canadian prime ministers. Mount Mackenzie
, Mount Tupper, Mount Macdonald
and Mount Laurier rise over the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks that travel through the Rogers Pass
near Golden, British Columbia
. Mount Robert in the Coast Mountains
of British Columbia honours Sir Robert Borden. Other than Laurier (who was also honoured with the name of a mountain in Yukon
), none of these prime ministers have received the honour of also having a mountain named for them in the Premier Range.
Cariboo Mountains
The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is...
of east-central 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...
, 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...
. The range (also known as the Premier Group) is bounded by the Rausch River and Kiwa Creek to the north, the North Thompson River on the south and west and the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
and its tributaries to the east.
In 1927, the year of Canada's Diamond Jubilee
Diamond Jubilee
A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in the case of a person or a 75th anniversary in the case of an event.- Thailand :...
, it was decided that the names of the higher peaks in this range would be reserved to pay tribute to prime ministers of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, prime ministers of the United Kingdom, and premiers of the province 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 practice, however, only one British prime minister and one British Columbia premier have been so honoured, and recent changes to Canadian geographic naming regulations make it unlikely that any British prime minister or other non-Canadian will receive such an honour in the future.
The named summits of the Premier Range are, in order of elevation:
| Mountain | Height (m) | Height (ft) | Naming | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier is a mountain located in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is the tallest in the Premier Range, which is located just west of Valemount.... |
3516 | 11535 | Sir Wilfrid Laurier Wilfrid Laurier Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911.... - 7th Prime Minister |
52°48′10"N 119°43′9"W |
| Mount Sir John Abbott Mount Sir John Abbott Mount Sir John Abbott is a mountain located at co-ordinates in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the south end of the west wall of Kiwa Glacier.... |
3398 | 11148 | Sir John Abbott John Abbott Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott, PC, KCMG, QC was the third Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the office for seventeen months, from June 16, 1891 to November 24, 1892. - Life and work :... - 3rd Prime Minister |
52°48.6′N 119°47.7′W |
| Mount Sir John Thompson Mount Sir John Thompson Mount Sir John Thompson is a mountain located at co-ordinates in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is located between the David and North Canoe Glaciers.... |
3349 | 10988 | Sir John Thompson - 4th Prime Minister | 52°44′N 119°44′W |
| Mount Sir Mackenzie Bowell Mount Sir Mackenzie Bowell Mount Sir MacKenzie Bowell is a mountain peak located at co-ordinates in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is located between the Kiwa and Tete glaciers.... |
3301 | 10830 | Sir Mackenzie Bowell Mackenzie Bowell Sir Mackenzie Bowell, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister of Canada from December 21, 1894 to April 27, 1896.-Early life:Bowell was born in Rickinghall, Suffolk, England to John Bowell and Elizabeth Marshall... - 5th Prime Minister |
52°49′54"N 119°43′48"W |
| Mount Stanley Baldwin Mount Stanley Baldwin Mount Stanley Baldwin is a mountain located in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is located at the head of the Gilmour Glacier... |
3256 | 10682 | Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars... - British Prime Minister |
52°49′28"N 119°36′21"W |
| Mount Mackenzie King Mount Mackenzie King Mount Mackenzie King is a peak located in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain separates the Laurier Glacier to the north from the David Glacier to the south.... |
3234 | 10610 | Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948... - 10th Prime Minister |
52°46′32.9"N 119°45′02.9"W |
| Mount Arthur Meighen Mount Arthur Meighen Mount Arthur Meighen is a mountain located in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada... |
3205 | 10515 | Arthur Meighen Arthur Meighen Arthur Meighen, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada: from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921; and from June 29 to September 25, 1926. He was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding... - 9th Prime Minister |
52°48′11.9"N 119°33′11.9"W |
| Mount Richard Bennett Mount Richard Bennett Mount Richard Bennett is a peak located at co-ordinates in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is just north of the taller Mount Sir John Abbott and is often considered a continuation of that mountain.The name honours... |
3190 | 10466 | Richard Bennett R. B. Bennett Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, PC, KC was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of Canada from August 7, 1930, to October 23, 1935, during the worst of the Great Depression years... - 11th Prime Minister |
52°49′48"N 119°47′36"W |
| Mount John Oliver Mount John Oliver Mount John Oliver is a mountain located at co-ordinates in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is located on the divide between the Kiwa and Tete Creeks and is covered by a glacier.... |
3123 | 10246 | John Oliver John Oliver (politician) John Oliver was a politician and farmer in British Columbia, Canada.Oliver was involved in local politics when he won a seat in the provincial legislature in the 1900 election, and became leader of the opposition. He lost his seat in the 1909 election... - B.C. Premier |
52°53′00"N 119°41′06"W |
| Mount Lester Pearson Mount Lester Pearson Mount Lester Pearson is a mountain located in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is located south of the head of the McLennan River and west of Valemount, British Columbia.... |
3086 | 10125 | Lester B. Pearson Lester B. Pearson Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis... - 14th Prime Minister |
52°46′48"N 119°32′42"W |
| Mount Louis Saint Laurent Mount Louis Saint Laurent Mount Louis Saint Laurent is a mountain located at co-ordinates in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is to the west of the David Glacier and overlooks the Raush River.... |
3045 | 9990 | Louis St. Laurent Louis St. Laurent Louis Stephen St. Laurent, PC, CC, QC , was the 12th Prime Minister of Canada from 15 November 1948, to 21 June 1957.... - 12th Prime Minister |
52°45′34"N 119°47′07"W |
| Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau is a mountain located at co-ordinates in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is located on the south side of the McLennan River, just west of Valemount.... |
2640 | 8661 | Pierre Trudeau Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,... - 15th Prime Minister |
52°48′10"N 119°25′31"W |
| Mount Sir Allan MacNab Mount Sir Allan MacNab Mount Sir Allan MacNab is a mountain located in the Premier Range of British Columbia, Canada. The range is named for Sir Allan MacNab, a Canadian industrialist who was premier of the Province of Canada from 1854-56.... |
2297 | 7535 | Sir Allan MacNab Allan MacNab Sir Allan Napier MacNab, 1st Baronet was a Canadian political leader and Premier of the Province of Canada before Canadian Confederation .-Biography:... - Canadian industrialist and Premier of the colonial-era Province of Canada Province of Canada The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of... |
52°31′12"N 119°12′11"W |
Before the Premier Range was selected, many mountains outside this area were named after Canadian prime ministers. Mount Mackenzie
Mount Mackenzie
Mount Mackenzie is a mountain just southeast of the city of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. Part of the Selkirk Mountains, it is the site of the Revelstoke Mountain Resort ski area and was named for the Right Honourable Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the second Prime Minister of Canada.-External...
, Mount Tupper, Mount Macdonald
Mount Macdonald
Mount Macdonald is a mountain peak located in the Selkirk mountains of British Columbia, Canada, immediately to the east of Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park. It is notable as the location of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Connaught and Mount Macdonald Tunnels. At 14.7 km, the Mount...
and Mount Laurier rise over the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks that travel through the Rogers Pass
Rogers Pass
Rogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The pass is a shortcut across the "Big Bend" of the Columbia River from Revelstoke on the west to Donald, near Golden, on the east...
near Golden, British Columbia
Golden, British Columbia
Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of Calgary, Alberta and east of Vancouver.-History:Much of the town's history is tied into the Canadian Pacific Railway and the logging industry...
. Mount Robert in the Coast Mountains
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
of British Columbia honours Sir Robert Borden. Other than Laurier (who was also honoured with the name of a mountain in Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
), none of these prime ministers have received the honour of also having a mountain named for them in the Premier Range.
External references
- Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia on the Premier Range
- Place Names in the Canadian Rockies
- Government of British Columbia Information Services data sheet on Premier Range
- Mountains of Canada from Canadian Geographic