Arthur Bunster
Encyclopedia
Arthur Bunster was a Canadian entrepreneur and Member of Parliament
.
Bunster was born in Queen's County (now Laois
), Ireland and was educated in Dublin, attending Trinity College
. He came to Vancouver Island
in 1856 and settled in Victoria, British Columbia
. After trying his hand at several other ventures, Bunster purchased the Colonial Brewery in 1859. The brewery was destroyed in a fire and rebuilt, both in 1869.
In 1869, he served as a member of the town council for Victoria. He represented Nanaimo in the Legislative Council of British Columbia
in 1871. Bunster, a Liberal
, was elected in the two-member Victoria riding
in British Columbia’s first provincial election
, in 1871. He was initially a candidate for the Vancouver
seat (i.e. Vancouver Island
, not today's City of Vancouver
) in the federal election of 1872
. However, Bunster and other local candidates stepped aside so that Minister of Finance Francis Hincks
could win the seat by acclamation after he had lost his Ontario seat. Bunster did resign his seat in the provincial assembly in 1874 to contest and win the seat in the 1874 federal election
. He was re-elected in 1878
but ultimately lost the seat in 1882
. Bunster sold the brewery, to the original owners, in the same year. He later moved to San Francisco
, where he entered real estate and later died in 1891, when he drowned in San Francisco Bay
.
Bunster was opposed to immigration by Chinese people to Canada. In 1871, he proposed that a fifty dollar poll tax be imposed on Chinese persons working in British Columbia. The proposal was withdrawn because it fell outside of the powers of the colonial council. In 1874, he lobbied for legislation making it illegal for the Canadian Pacific Railway
to hire persons with hair longer than 5.5 inches, a measure again aimed at the Chinese.
Bunster is also remembered for his 1878 fist-fight in the House of Commons with Liberal MP Guillaume Cheval.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Bunster was born in Queen's County (now Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
), Ireland and was educated in Dublin, attending Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. He came to Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
in 1856 and settled in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. After trying his hand at several other ventures, Bunster purchased the Colonial Brewery in 1859. The brewery was destroyed in a fire and rebuilt, both in 1869.
In 1869, he served as a member of the town council for Victoria. He represented Nanaimo in the Legislative Council of British Columbia
Legislative Council of British Columbia
The Legislative Council of British Columbia was an advisory body created in 1867 to the Governor of the "new" Colony of British Columbia, which had been created from the merger of the old Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia...
in 1871. Bunster, a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, was elected in the two-member Victoria riding
Victoria (British Columbia electoral district)
Victoria was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia, and was one of the first twelve ridings at the time of that province's joining Confederation in 1871 and stayed on the hustings until 1890. From 1894 to 1963 it did not appear on the electoral map...
in British Columbia’s first provincial election
British Columbia general election, 1871
Formerly a British colony, British Columbia became a province of Canada on July 20, 1871. An interim Cabinet was appointed by the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, and election writs for the first general election were issued to choose 25 members of the first provincial legislature from 12...
, in 1871. He was initially a candidate for the Vancouver
Vancouver (electoral district)
Vancouver was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1904...
seat (i.e. Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, not today's City of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
) in the federal election of 1872
Canadian federal election, 1872
The Canadian federal election of 1872 was held from July 20 to October 12, 1872, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 2nd Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Sir John A...
. However, Bunster and other local candidates stepped aside so that Minister of Finance Francis Hincks
Francis Hincks
Sir Francis Hincks, KCMG, PC was a Canadian politician.Born in Cork, Ireland, he was the son of Thomas Dix Hincks an orientalist, naturalist and Presbyterian minister and the brother of Edward Hincks orientalist, naturalist and clergyman.He moved to York in 1832 and set up an importing business...
could win the seat by acclamation after he had lost his Ontario seat. Bunster did resign his seat in the provincial assembly in 1874 to contest and win the seat in the 1874 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1874
The Canadian federal election of 1874 was held on January 22, 1874, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 3rd Parliament of Canada. Sir John A...
. He was re-elected in 1878
Canadian federal election, 1878
The Canadian federal election of 1878 was held on September 17 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 4th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the end of Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie's Liberal government after only one term in office. Canada suffered an economic depression...
but ultimately lost the seat in 1882
Canadian federal election, 1882
The Canadian federal election of 1882 was held on June 20, 1882 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 5th Parliament of Canada.Prime Minister Sir John A...
. Bunster sold the brewery, to the original owners, in the same year. He later moved to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, where he entered real estate and later died in 1891, when he drowned in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
.
Bunster was opposed to immigration by Chinese people to Canada. In 1871, he proposed that a fifty dollar poll tax be imposed on Chinese persons working in British Columbia. The proposal was withdrawn because it fell outside of the powers of the colonial council. In 1874, he lobbied for legislation making it illegal for the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
to hire persons with hair longer than 5.5 inches, a measure again aimed at the Chinese.
Bunster is also remembered for his 1878 fist-fight in the House of Commons with Liberal MP Guillaume Cheval.