John Hart (Canadian politician)

John Hart (Mohill, County Leitrim, Ireland March 31, 1879-April 7, 1957, Victoria, British Columbia) was premier of British Columbia, Canada, from December 9 1941 to December 29 1947.

Hart worked in the finance industry and founded his own firm in 1909. He entered politics in the 1916 election, joining the provincial legislature as a Liberal member. He served as minister of finance from 1917 to 1924, and from 1933 to 1949.

Hart became premier following the 1941 election when Pattullo's Liberals failed to win a majority. Unlike Pattullo, Hart was willing to form a coalition government with the Conservative Party. This allowed the Liberal-Conservative coalition to govern with a majority, and to block the rise of the socialist Cooperative Commonwealth Federation.

From 1941 to 1945, Hart governed at a time of wartime scarcity, when all major government projects were postponed. Hart was re-elected in the 1945 election by a decisive margin.

After 1945, Hart's government undertook a program of rural electrification and highway construction. Hart's most significant project was the construction of Highway 97 to northern British Columbia, which is named in his honour. In December 1947, he resigned as both finance minister and premier in order to return to business.

Preceded by: Thomas Dufferin Pattullo 1933-1941

Premier of British Columbia 1941-1947

Succeeded by: Byron Ingemar Johnson 1947-1952