Richard McBride

Sir Richard McBride KCMG
16th Premier of British Columbia
In office June 1, 1903 – December 15, 1915
Monarch	Edward VII George V
Lieutenant Governor	Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière James Dunsmuir Thomas Wilson Paterson Francis Stillman Barnard
Preceded by	Edward Gawler Prior
Succeeded by	William John Bowser
MLA for Westminster-Dewdney
In office July 9, 1898 – October 3, 1903
Preceded by	Colin Buchanan Sword
Succeeded by	district abolished
MLA for Dewdney
In office October 3, 1903 – November 25, 1909
Preceded by	first member
Succeeded by	William J. Manson
MLA for Yale
In office November 25, 1909 – March 28, 1912
Preceded by	Stuart Alexander Henderson
Succeeded by	Alexander Lucas
MLA for Victoria City
In office February 2, 1907 – December 15, 1915 Serving with Henry Frederick William Behnsen, Frederick Davey, Henry Broughton Thomson
Preceded by	William George Cameron Richard Low Drury Richard Hall James Dugald McNiven
Succeeded by	Harlan Carey Brewster
Personal details
Born	December 15, 1870 New Westminster, British Columbia
Died	August 6, 1917 (aged 46) London, England
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	Conservative
Other political affiliations	Government
Spouse(s)	Christine Margaret McGillivray (m. 1896)
Children	6 daughters
Alma mater	Schulich School of Law
Occupation	lawyer
Profession	politician
Cabinet	Minister of Mines (1900-1901)

Sir Richard McBride, KCMG (December 15, 1870 – August 6, 1917) was a British Columbia politician and is often considered the founder of the British Columbia Conservative Party. McBride was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1898 election, and served in the cabinet of James Dunsmuir from 1900 to 1901. McBride believed that the province's system of non-party government was unstable and hindered development. After the lieutenant-governor appointed him the 16th premier in June 1903 and McBride announced that his government was a Conservative Party administration and would contest the upcoming election along party lines. On October 3, 1903, McBride's party, the British Columbia Conservative Party won the first provincial election to be fought along party lines with a two-seat majority.

The new Conservative government attempted to stabilize the economy by cutting spending and raising new taxes. It also introduced progressive reforms of the province's labour law. In 1909 McBride unveiled plans for a provincial university and promised to build more railway lines. The party won commanding majorities in the 1909 and 1912 elections, almost shutting the Opposition out of the legislature.

McBride's Conservatives were aligned with the federal Conservatives of Robert Borden, and helped them take power in the 1911 federal election. On the first day of the First World War, the provincial government purchased and took possession of two submarines (HMCS CC-1 and HMCS CC-2) to defend the province from the threat of German attack. As provinces are not constitutionally allowed to maintain militaries, they were quickly transferred by order to the federal government within 48 hours and entered service with the Royal Canadian Navy in August 1914.^[1]

His government was also responsible for the creation of the province's first university, the University of British Columbia, which opened its doors in 1915.

The government's popularity waned as an economic downturn hit the province along with the mounting railway debts. McBride resigned on December 15, 1915, to become the province's representative in London, where he died in 1917.

Richard McBride is interred in the Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria, British Columbia.

Legacy

The small community of McBride, British Columbia was named after this premier during the time he was in office. Also named for the premier, the McBride River in northern British Columbia is a major tributary of the Stikine.

Sir Richard McBride Elementary School in Vancouver was named after him in 1911 during his tenure as Premier as well as McBride Park in Kitsilano on July 26, 1911.( During World War I the park was used for the cultivation of vegetables.)

Also named for him is McBride Boulevard in New Westminster which is the western ramp for the Pattullo Bridge.

See also

HMCS CC-1 and HMCS CC-2

References

1. CC1 and CC2 — British Columbia's Submarine Fleet, CFB Esquimalt Naval and History Museum webpage

External links

• Works by or about Richard McBride at Internet Archive
• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• British Columbia: From the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol IV (Biographical) by E.O.S. Scholefield and F.W. Howay (see pp. 5-6).