Byron Ingemar Johnson

Byron Ingemar Johnson

Byron Ingemar Johnson (born December 10, 1890 in Victoria , British Columbia , † January 12, 1964 there ; actually Bjorn Ingemar Johnson ) was a Canadian politician and businessman . From December 29, 1947 to August 1, 1952, he was Prime Minister of the Province of British Columbia and Chairman of the British Columbia Liberal Party . He was often referred to as the "boss" by his contemporaries. This nickname goes back to the Icelandic "Bjosse", a diminutive of Johnson's maiden name Bjorn, which he later anglicized to Byron .

biography

After serving in the military in Europe during World War I , Johnson and his brothers opened a building materials company in Victoria, which proved successful. In 1929 he joined the Freemasons . On November 2, 1933, he was elected to the British Columbia Legislative Assembly as one of four Victoria MPs , but lost his seat in the June 1, 1937 elections.

Johnson returned to his company. During World War II he was responsible for building Royal Canadian Air Force facilities throughout the province. In the elections on October 25, 1945, he was re-elected, this time in the New Westminster constituency , after which he was a member of the liberal-conservative coalition government led by John Hart . After Hart's resignation on December 29, 1947, Johnson took over the offices of party chairman and prime minister.

Johnson's government introduced compulsory health insurance and charged 3% VAT to finance it. It expanded the main road network, extended the Pacific Great Eastern Railway and enabled the construction of the Kenny Dam, the province's first hydroelectric power station . After the devastating floods of the Fraser River in 1948, Johnson initiated a program to build protective dams. In 1950 he appointed Nancy Hodges, the first female speaker in the entire Commonwealth .

The liberal-conservative party alliance achieved a voter share of over 61% in the elections on June 15, 1949. The British Columbia Conservative Party broke the alliance in 1951 and Johnson's government did not have a majority. In the elections that followed on June 12, 1952, both Liberals and Conservatives were defeated by the British Columbia Social Credit Party . Johnson lost his seat, handed over to WAC Bennett on August 1, 1952, and retired into private life.

Web links

• Byron Ingemar Johnson ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
• Short Biography - Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon