Charles Augustus Semlin

Charles Augustus Semlin

Charles Augustus Semlin (born December 4, 1836 in Barrie , Ontario , † November 2, 1927 in Cache Creek ) was a Canadian politician , teacher and rancher . From August 1898 to February 1900 he was Prime Minister of the Province of British Columbia .

biography

Until 1862, Semlin worked as a teacher in the town of Barrie. That year he heard about the Cariboo gold rush and moved to British Columbia to try his luck there. He found little gold and settled in the village of Cache Creek in 1865 . There he bought an inn on one of the most important thoroughfares of the time. Around this he acquired land step by step and built one of the largest ranches in the region with up to 15,000 head of cattle.

In the province's first election in November 1871, Semlin was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as a member of the Yale constituency (there were no parties at the time). In October 1875 he lost his seat again; he won it back in July 1882. After the elections in July 1894, Semlin became an opposition leader.

When John Herbert Turner was unable to form a government after the July 1898 elections, Lieutenant Governor Thomas Robert McInnes appointed Semlin as the new Prime Minister on August 15. Semlin's reign was marked by numerous controversies, most of which emanated from Joseph Martin , the Attorney General . On February 28, 1900, Semlin resigned, he did not stand for the subsequent elections in June 1900. Three years later he won a by-election, but gave up his seat after a few months. Semlin spent the remainder of his life on his ranch.

Web links

• Charles Augustus Semlin . In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography . 24 volumes, 1966–2018. University of Toronto Press, Toronto ( English , French ).
• Charles Augustus Semlin ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .