Richard McBride

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Richard McBride

Sir Richard McBride , KCMG (born December 15, 1870 in New Westminster , † August 6, 1917 in London ) was a Canadian politician and lawyer . From June 1, 1903 to December 15, 1915 he was Prime Minister of the Province of British Columbia and chairman of the British Columbia Conservative Party, which he founded .

biography

1887 McBride went to Halifax to attend the Dalhousie University to study law. He was admitted to the bar three years later and opened a law firm in New Westminster. In June 1898 he was elected to the British Columbia Legislative Assembly and briefly served as Minister of Mines in James Dunsmuir's cabinet in 1900/01 . In 1899 he joined the Freemasons .

McBride believed that the lack of parties was destabilizing British Columbia's political system and hampering the province's further development. After Lieutenant Governor Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière on June 1, 1903, after the resignation of Edward Gawler Prior , entrusted him with the formation of a new government, he founded the British Columbia Conservative Party. The elections in October 1903 were the first with party candidates and were won by McBride's Conservatives.

The new government tried to stabilize the provincial budget with spending cuts and new taxes. McBride's tenure also includes labor law reforms, the establishment of the University of British Columbia , construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway and the opening of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway . In the elections in 1907, 1909 and 1912 the government was confirmed by large majorities.

McBride was popular with the population because of his ability to negotiate better terms for the province with the federal government. He supported the national Conservative Party in the general elections in 1908 and 1911 by actively campaigning. In return, he demanded stricter immigration laws from Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden , which were unilaterally directed against Asians. Although one of the namesake, McBride was never a member of the McKenna-McBride Commission , which worked from 1913 to 1916 to solve the " Indian Reservations " issue in British Columbia.

At the beginning of the First World War , on McBride's initiative, the provincial government bought two submarines in the event of an (unlikely) German attack, which were later sold to the federal government. The stagnant economy during the war led to a rapid decline in popularity. McBride also ignored growing demands for women's suffrage and alcohol prohibition .

McBride resigned on December 15, 1915 for health reasons. He was succeeded by William John Bowser , who had studied with him in Halifax and had been Attorney General from 1907 . McBride went to London to serve as the province's official representative. He was suffering from nephritis and was hoping to get treatment in the UK, but died almost two years later.

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personal data
SURNAME McBride, Richard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian politician
DATE OF BIRTH December 15, 1870
PLACE OF BIRTH New Westminster
DATE OF DEATH August 6, 1917
Place of death London