John Hart (Canadian politician)

John Hart (March 31, 1879 – April 7, 1957[1][2]) was the 23rd premier of British Columbia, Canada, from December 9, 1941, to December 29, 1947.[1]

John Hart
23rd Premier of British Columbia
In office
December 9, 1941  December 29, 1947
MonarchGeorge VI
Lieutenant GovernorWilliam C. Woodward
Charles Arthur Banks
Preceded byThomas Dufferin Pattullo
Succeeded byByron Ingemar Johnson
MLA for Victoria City
In office
September 14, 1916  June 20, 1924
Preceded byHenry Frederick William Behnsen
Frederick Davey
Richard McBride
Henry Broughton Thomson
Succeeded byRobert Allan Gus Lyons
MLA for Victoria City
In office
November 2, 1933  June 15, 1949
Preceded byJames Harry Beatty
Reginald Hayward
Joshua Hinchcliffe
Harold Despard Twigg
Succeeded byDaniel John Proudfoot
Personal details
Born(1879-03-31)March 31, 1879
Mohill, County Leitrim, Ireland
DiedApril 7, 1957(1957-04-07) (aged 78)
Victoria, British Columbia
Political partyBritish Columbia Liberal Party
SpouseHarriett (Mackay)

Biography

John Hart was born in Mohill, County Leitrim, Ireland, the son of an Irish farmer who was also named John Hart. He came to Victoria in 1898.[1]

Hart worked in the finance industry and founded his own firm in 1909. In 1908, he married Harriet McKay. He entered politics in the 1916 election, elected to the provincial legislature as a Liberal member from Victoria City. He served as minister of finance from 1917 to 1924, and from 1933 to 1947.[1] Hart retired from politics to attend to his business from 1924 to 1933.[2]

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 in order to block the socialist Cooperative Commonwealth Federation from forming the government.[1]

From 1941 to 1945, Hart governed at a time of wartime scarcity, when all major government projects were postponed. Hart's coalition government was re-elected in the 1945 election by a decisive margin. In that contest, Liberals and Conservatives ran under the same banner for the first time in BC history.

After 1945, Hart undertook an ambitious program of rural electrification, hydroelectric and highway construction. Hart's most significant projects were the construction of Highway 97 to northern British Columbia (which is named in his honour)[3] and the re-launch of the Bridge River Power Project, which was the first major hydroelectric development in British Columbia. He established the BC Power Commission, a forerunner of BC Hydro, to provide power to smaller communities that were not serviced by private utilities.[2]

In December 1947, he retired as both finance minister and premier. Hart was named speaker for the assembly in 1948. He did not seek reelection in 1949[1] and returned to business.

Hart was one of the few BC premiers who left office neither defeated nor under a cloud. He died in Victoria in 1957, aged 78 years, having led a distinguished life of public service. He is interred in the Royal Oak Burial Park in Saanich.[1]

The 405 km John Hart Highway between Prince George and Dawson Creek is named for him,[3] as is the Hart Highlands neighbourhood of Prince George and the John Hart Dam (Hydroelectric) in Campbell River.

References

  1. Rayner, William (2000). British Columbia's premiers in profile: the good, the bad, and the transient. Heritage House Publishing Co. pp. 158–167. ISBN 1-895811-71-6. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  2. "John Hart". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  3. Harvey, R. G (2004). Head on!: collisions of egos, ethics, and politics in B.C.'s transportation history. Heritage House Publishing Co. pp. 77–8. ISBN 1-894384-75-X. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
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