William Smithe
Encyclopedia
William Smithe was a British Columbia
politician.
Smithe was born William Smith in England
and moved to Canada in his youth, settling on Vancouver Island
in 1862 as a farmer
. In 1871, he ran in BC's first election and won a seat in the new provincial legislature
. There he added the final "e" to his name, probably to distinguish himself as clearly as possible from the colourful figure of Amor De Cosmos
. De Cosmos, also then a member of the legislature, had likewise been born as "William Smith," but in a characteristically grand gesture had legally adopted instead a new name meaning "Love of the Universe."
By 1875 Smithe had become the informal leader of the opposition
to Premier
George Anthony Walkem
's government, but yielded the leadership to Andrew Charles Elliott
. Smithe was in Elliott's short lived cabinet
from 1876 to 1878 before returning to the opposition benches and again became opposition leader.
In 1883, Smithe became the seventh Premier
of British Columbia and initiated the Great Potlatch era in which governments made generous grants of public resources and land to private entrepreneur
s. He also settled disputes with the federal government which had stalled the construction of the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway
. Asked on one occasion whether he thought British Columbia should be annexed to the United States, he suggested instead that Washington and Oregon be annexed to British Columbia. Smithe remained premier until he died in office in 1887.
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.
Smithe was born William Smith in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and moved to Canada in his youth, settling on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
in 1862 as a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
. In 1871, he ran in BC's first election and won a seat in the new 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...
. There he added the final "e" to his name, probably to distinguish himself as clearly as possible from the colourful figure of Amor De Cosmos
Amor De Cosmos
Amor De Cosmos was a Canadian journalist, publisher and politician. He served as the second Premier of British Columbia.-Early life:...
. De Cosmos, also then a member of the legislature, had likewise been born as "William Smith," but in a characteristically grand gesture had legally adopted instead a new name meaning "Love of the Universe."
By 1875 Smithe had become the informal 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....
to Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
George Anthony Walkem
George Anthony Walkem
George Anthony "Boomer" Walkem was a British Columbian politician and jurist.Born in Newry, Ireland, Walkem moved to then Colony of British Columbia in 1862 and served as a member of the appointed Legislative Council of British Columbia from 1864 to 1870 and was a supporter of Canadian confederation...
's government, but yielded the leadership to Andrew Charles Elliott
Andrew Charles Elliott
Andrew Charles Elliott was a British Columbian politician and jurist. Elliott's varied career in British Columbia included Gold Commissioner, stipendiary magistrate and, following the union of the Island and Mainland Colonies in 1866 was appoint High Sheriff of the province, resigning his...
. Smithe was in Elliott's short lived cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
from 1876 to 1878 before returning to the opposition benches and again became opposition leader.
In 1883, Smithe became the seventh Premier
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...
of British Columbia and initiated the Great Potlatch era in which governments made generous grants of public resources and land to private entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
s. He also settled disputes with the federal government which had stalled the construction of the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian 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...
. Asked on one occasion whether he thought British Columbia should be annexed to the United States, he suggested instead that Washington and Oregon be annexed to British Columbia. Smithe remained premier until he died in office in 1887.