Charles Arthur Banks

Charles Arthur Banks

Charles Arthur Banks , CMG (born May 18, 1885 in Thames , New Zealand , † September 28, 1961 in Vancouver ) was a Canadian mining engineer and entrepreneur . From 1946 to 1950 he was Lieutenant Governor of the Province of British Columbia .

biography

Born in New Zealand, Banks studied engineering at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado . He then worked for various mining companies around the world until he finally moved to British Columbia in 1912. During the First World War he served with the Royal Engineers . After the end of the war he returned to Vancouver and founded British Columbia Silver Mines Ltd. In 1925 the mining company Placer Development Co. (later Placer Dome ) was founded. His wife was a geologist and a member of the Royal Geographical Society . With gold mines in New Guinea and Colombia , the couple became very wealthy.

During the Second World War , Banks was active in London as the representative of the Canadian government. In this role he was responsible for delivering military supplies from Canada to the UK . He was knighted for his services.

Governor General Harold Alexander swore in Banks on October 1, 1946 as Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. He held this representative office until October 2, 1950. He stayed in his company until 1959. He bequeathed part of his fortune to the University of British Columbia .

Web links

• Biography on the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia website