Friday, October 18, 2013

Hart to B.C.

This is the original Ronald clown of McDonald's  in 1963.
Artificial legs in the United Kingdom around 1890.



Spray tanning is nothing new. Here's a 1949 tan machine.
From 187, this is the only authenticated photo of Billy the Kid.

British Columbia's 23rd premier was born March 31, 1879 in Mohill County, Leitrim, Ireland. John Hart, the son of an Irish farmer with the same name, came to Victoria in 1898.

Hart worked in the finance industry and formed his own firm in 1909. The year before that, he had married Harriet Mackay. In 1916, Hart entered politics. He was elected as a Liberal member from Victoria City to the provincial legislature. He served as minister of finance from 1917 to 1924 and again from 1933-1947.

A New York City fire engine, and fire fighters, in 1912.
On June 7, 1885, the head of the Statue of Liberty was delivered. This is a photo of it being unpacked.

As I told you on Monday, Pattullo's government lost the 1941 election. John Hart was elected premier at that time. Unlike his predecessor, Hart was willing to form a coalition government with the Conservative party, which allowed the Liberal-Conservative to govern with a majority and block the socialist Cooperative Commonwealth Federation from forming a government.

Hart governed in a time of wartime scarcity - from 1941 - 1945 - and all major government programs were postponed. In 1945, Hart's government was re-elected with a decisive margin. This election made history because it was the first time in B.C. that the Liberals and Conservatives had run under the same banner.

In 1945, the war was over and the scarce times were behind the province. Hart embarked on an ambitious program of rural electrification, hydro electric and highway construction. His most significant projects were the construction of Highway 97 to Northern British Columbia - which is named in his honour - and the re-launch of the Bridge River Power Project. This was the first major hydroelectric development in B.C. Hart established the B.C. Power Commission to provide power to smaller communities that were not serviced by private utilities.

John Hart retired as finance minister and premier in December of 1947 though he was named speaker for the assembly in 1948. In 1949, he didn't seek re-election and returned to business. He died on April 7, 1957, at the age of 78, in Victoria and is buried at the Royal Oak Burial Park in Saanich.

Hart has the distinction of being one of the few premiers to leave office neither defeated nor under a cloud. 


Thanks goes to Wikipedia for the information on John Hart. And thank you to my mother and her friend Wes for the old photos.

I hope you find the beauty around you.




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