Donald Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal
Encyclopedia
Sir Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, GCMG
, GCVO
, PC
, DL
(August 6, 1820 – January 21, 1914) was a Scottish
-born Canadian fur trader, financier, railroad baron and politician.
, in Moray
, Scotland
to Alexander Smith, a saddler, and Barbera Stuart. On leaving school at the age of 16 he briefly apprenticed to become a lawyer in the town clerk's office.
Richard Hardisty, Esquire, of the Hudson's Bay Company. She was presented to the King and Queen, March 13, 1903. The couple lived at 53 Cadogan Square, London; Knebworth House, Stevenage,
Herts, England; Glencoe, Scotland; and 1157 Dorchester Street, Montreal.
Their daughter, Hon. Margaret Charlotte Howard, was the wife of Robert J. B. Howard, Esquire. Isabella Sophia and her daughter donated $100,000 to McGill University
in Montreal to erect of a new wing to its Medical Building.
in 1838 to work for the Hudson's Bay Company
(HBC), becoming a clerk for the organization in 1842. He was given administrative control over the seigneury of Mingan (in modern Labrador
) in late 1843, where his innovative methods met with the disapproval of HBC governor Sir George Simpson
. The Mingan post burned down in 1846, and Smith left for Montreal
the following year. He returned in 1848, and remained in Labrador until the 1860s, administering the fur trade
and salmon
fishing within the region.
In 1862, Smith was promoted as the company's Chief Factor in charge of the Labrador district. He travelled to London
in 1865, and made a favourable impression on the HBC's directors. In 1868, he was promoted to Commissioner of the Montreal department, managing the HBC's eastern operations. That same year, Smith joined with George Stephen
, Richard Bladworth Angus, and Andrew Paton to establish the textile manufactory, Paton Manufacturing Company, in Sherbrooke.
In 1869, Smith was sent to the Red River Settlement in present day Manitoba
by the Canadian government to negotiate with Louis Riel
, leader of the Red River Rebellion
. Smith's offers, including land recognition for the Métis
, led to Riel calling a Council of 40 representatives for formal negotiations. Smith succeeded in gaining clemency for some prisoners within the region; he was not, however, able to prevent the execution of Thomas Scott
by the provisional government.
Smith returned to Ottawa
in early 1870, and was appointed President of the HBC's Council of the Northern Department (effectively becoming administrator of the Northwest Territories
, including Manitoba).
Smith accompanied Col. Garnet Wolseley's military mission to Red River later in the year; following the end of the rebellion, Wolseley illegally appointed Smith as the Acting Governor of Assiniboia
pending Lieutenant Governor Adams George Archibald
's arrival in the province. Smith stayed in the region after 1870, and was responsible for negotiating the transfer of HBC land to the federal government (as well as coordinating the transfer of several specific land claims in the region). Archibald appointed Smith to his Executive Council
on October 20, 1870, although this decision was subsequently overturned by the Canadian government, which ruled that Archibald had overstepped his legal authority.
, held on December 27, 1870, Smith was elected to the provincial legislature for the riding of Winnipeg and St. John, defeating long-time HBC nemesis John Christian Schultz
by 71 votes to 63. Smith was a supporter of Archibald's consensus government, and opposed Schultz's ultra-loyalist Canadian Party
; there was a riot among the Ontario soldiers stationed in Winnipeg
following the announcement of Smith's victory.
Politicians were allowed to serve in both the provincial and federal parliaments in this period of Manitoba history, and Smith was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
for the newly-formed riding of Selkirk
in early 1871. He sat as an Independent Conservative
, and initially supported the government of Sir John A. Macdonald
. Easily re-elected in 1872
, Smith was a strong defender of HBC interests in the House of Commons, and also spoke for issues concerning Manitoba and the Northwest. He helped create the Bank of Manitoba and the Manitoba Insurance Company during this period, assisted by banker Sir Hugh Allan
.
In 1872 Smith was appointed in the first group of members of the Temporary North-West Council
the first governing assembly
of Northwest Territories
. Smith was one of the few people who served on two provincial / territorial legislatures and the federal parliament at the same time.
Smith broke with Macdonald in 1873, after the Prime Minister
had delayed reimbursement for Smith's earlier expenses in Red River. Smith voted to censure the government in a motion over the Pacific Scandal
, and was thereby partly responsible for the government's defeat. Smith remained an Independent Conservative, but his relations with the official Conservative
representatives were often strained in later years.
Manitoba abolished the "dual mandate" in 1873, and Smith resigned from the provincial legislature in early 1874 (the first person to do so). In the Canadian general election of 1874, Smith defeated Liberal
candidate Andrew G. B. Bannatyne
by 329 votes to 225. The Manitoba Free Press, at the time, suggested that Smith had encouraged Bannatyne's candidacy to prevent more serious opposition from emerging.
In 1873, the HBC separated its fur trade and land sales operations, putting Smith in charge of the latter. Smith had developed an interest in railway expansion through his work with the HBC, and in 1875 was among the incorporators of the Manitoba Western Railway. He was also a partner in the Red River Transportation Company, which gained control over the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in March 1878. His business ventures increasingly dominated his labours, and he formally resigned as land commissioner in early 1879 (though remaining a leading figure in the HBC's Canadian operations).
Smith faced a serious electoral challenge from former Manitoba Lieutenant Governor Alexander Morris
in the general election of 1878
. Aided on this occasion by the Manitoba Free Press, Smith defeated Morris by 555 votes to 546; local Conservative organizers protested the result, and it was overturned two years later. On September 10, 1880, Smith was defeated by former Winnipeg Mayor Thomas Scott, 735 votes to 577.
, although he was not appointed as a director of the organization until 1883 because of his lingering animosity with Sir John A. Macdonald (who had again become Prime Minister
in 1878). During his tenure on the board, Smith had the honour of driving the last spike
at Craigellachie, British Columbia
to complete the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
rail line. Smith remained on the board of directors for several years, although he was by-passed for the company's presidency in 1888, in favour of William Cornelius Van Horne
.
Smith became extremely wealthy through his investments, and was involved in a myriad of Canadian and American corporations in the later part of the 19th century. He was appointed to the board of the Bank of Montreal
in 1872, became its Vice-President in 1882, and was promoted to the Presidency in 1887.
Smith was also involved in the newspaper industry during this period. His attempt to take over the Toronto Globe in 1882 was unsuccessful, though he took effective control of the Manitoba Free Press from William Fisher Luxton in 1893. In 1889, he was the principal shareholder of the Hudson's Bay Company and was elected as its 26th governor, holding this position until his death in 1914.
, in the Quebec
riding of Montreal West
, and once again sat as an "Independent Conservative". He was re-elected in the election of 1891, defeating his only opponent (one James Cochrane
) 4586 votes to 880. Smith remained interested in Manitoba politics, and attempted (without success) to broker a compromise between Thomas Greenway
and the federal government during the Manitoba school crisis of the 1890s.
wanted Smith to succeed him in 1896, but Smith refused. The position of Prime Minister instead went to Sir Charles Tupper
, who appointed Smith as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom on April 24, 1896.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier
retained Smith as High Commissioner following the Liberal election victory of 1896
, although his powers were somewhat undercut. He was created Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, of Glencoe in the County of Argyll and of Mount Royal in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
, in 1897. He cooperated with Manitoba Liberal Clifford Sifton
in opening the Canadian prairies to eastern-European immigration. He raised Strathcona's Horse, a private unit of Canadian soldiers, during the Second Boer War
, and became one of the leading supporters of British imperialism within London. He was involved in the creation of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
, of which he became the chairman in 1909. Lord Strathcona subsequently used his influence to make the company a major supplier of the Royal Navy
.
in Montreal, where he helped establish a school for women in 1884. He was named Chancellor of McGill in 1888, and held the largely ceremonial post until his death. He also bequeathed funds to the Sheffield Scientific School
for a science and engineering building and to support two professorships in engineering. He had been awarded an honorary degree from Yale in 1892.
In 1905 he bought the island of Colonsay
in the Inner Hebrides
, which remains in the hands of his successors today.
In 1910, Sir Donald Alexander Smith deposited in trust with the Dominion Government the sum of $500,000, bearing annual interest of 4%, to develop citizenship and patriotism in the Royal Canadian Army Cadets movement through physical training, rifle shooting, and military drill. He is remembered today with the Lord Strathcona Medal
.
Lord Strathcona died in 1914 in London
and buried at Highgate Cemetery
. His seventy-five year tenure with the Hudson's Bay Company remains a record.
and by three streets in Winnipeg: Donald Street and Smith Street
in the downtown core, and Strathcona Street in the city's West End
. In Alberta he is commemorated by the Calgary
neighbourhood of Strathcona Park and by the Edmonton neighbourhood of Strathcona
. In British Columbia, the Vancouver neighbourhood of Strathcona takes its name from the Lord Strathcona School built in 1891. There are oil portraits of Lord Strathcona by many artists, but the Swiss-born American artist Adolfo Müller-Ury
seems to have made a number of head and shoulder portraits of him from 1898 (examples may be found at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad offices, and in the Hudson's Bay Company [this has a repainted background]). The Town of Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories is named after Donald Smith. There is a stained glass
window memorialising him in Westminster Abbey
.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, PC
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(August 6, 1820 – January 21, 1914) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-born Canadian fur trader, financier, railroad baron and politician.
Early life
Smith was born in ForresForres
Forres , is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions...
, in Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to Alexander Smith, a saddler, and Barbera Stuart. On leaving school at the age of 16 he briefly apprenticed to become a lawyer in the town clerk's office.
Family
He married Isabella Sophia, Baroness Strathcona and Mount Royal, the daughter ofRichard Hardisty, Esquire, of the Hudson's Bay Company. She was presented to the King and Queen, March 13, 1903. The couple lived at 53 Cadogan Square, London; Knebworth House, Stevenage,
Herts, England; Glencoe, Scotland; and 1157 Dorchester Street, Montreal.
Their daughter, Hon. Margaret Charlotte Howard, was the wife of Robert J. B. Howard, Esquire. Isabella Sophia and her daughter donated $100,000 to McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal to erect of a new wing to its Medical Building.
Hudson's Bay Company
He emigrated to Lower CanadaLower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
in 1838 to work for the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
(HBC), becoming a clerk for the organization in 1842. He was given administrative control over the seigneury of Mingan (in modern Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
) in late 1843, where his innovative methods met with the disapproval of HBC governor Sir George Simpson
George Simpson (administrator)
Sir George Simpson was a Scots-Quebecer and employee of the Hudson's Bay Company . His title was Governor-in-Chief of Rupert's Land and administrator over the Northwest Territories and Columbia Department in British North America from 1821 to 1860.-Early years:George Simpson was born in Dingwall,...
. The Mingan post burned down in 1846, and Smith left for Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
the following year. He returned in 1848, and remained in Labrador until the 1860s, administering the fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
fishing within the region.
In 1862, Smith was promoted as the company's Chief Factor in charge of the Labrador district. He travelled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1865, and made a favourable impression on the HBC's directors. In 1868, he was promoted to Commissioner of the Montreal department, managing the HBC's eastern operations. That same year, Smith joined with George Stephen
George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen
George Stephen, 1st Baron of Mount Stephen , known as Sir Stephen, between 1778 and 1891.-Canadian Pacific Railway syndicate:...
, Richard Bladworth Angus, and Andrew Paton to establish the textile manufactory, Paton Manufacturing Company, in Sherbrooke.
In 1869, Smith was sent to the Red River Settlement in present day Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
by the Canadian government to negotiate with Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
, leader of the Red River Rebellion
Red River Rebellion
The Red River Rebellion or Red River Resistance was the sequence of events related to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Settlement, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba.The Rebellion was the first crisis...
. Smith's offers, including land recognition for the Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
, led to Riel calling a Council of 40 representatives for formal negotiations. Smith succeeded in gaining clemency for some prisoners within the region; he was not, however, able to prevent the execution of Thomas Scott
Thomas Scott (Orangeman)
Thomas Scott was an Irish-born Canadian executed by firing squad on March 4, 1870, for plotting against the Provisional Government of the Red River Settlement and its Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia...
by the provisional government.
Smith returned to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in early 1870, and was appointed President of the HBC's Council of the Northern Department (effectively becoming administrator of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, including Manitoba).
Smith accompanied Col. Garnet Wolseley's military mission to Red River later in the year; following the end of the rebellion, Wolseley illegally appointed Smith as the Acting Governor of Assiniboia
Assiniboia
Assiniboia refers to a number of different locations and administrative jurisdictions in Canada. The name is taken from the Assiniboine First Nation.- District of Assiniboia:...
pending Lieutenant Governor Adams George Archibald
Adams George Archibald
Sir Adams George Archibald, KCMG, PC was a Canadian lawyer and politician, and a father of Confederation. He was based in Nova Scotia for most of his career, though he also served as 1st Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1870 to 1872.Archibald was born in Truro to a prominent family in Nova...
's arrival in the province. Smith stayed in the region after 1870, and was responsible for negotiating the transfer of HBC land to the federal government (as well as coordinating the transfer of several specific land claims in the region). Archibald appointed Smith to his Executive Council
Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)
An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders in Council.Executive Councillors are informally...
on October 20, 1870, although this decision was subsequently overturned by the Canadian government, which ruled that Archibald had overstepped his legal authority.
Political career
In Manitoba's first general electionManitoba general election, 1870
Manitobas first general election resulted in a victory for Lieutenant Governor Adams George Archibald's governing coalition...
, held on December 27, 1870, Smith was elected to the provincial legislature for the riding of Winnipeg and St. John, defeating long-time HBC nemesis John Christian Schultz
John Christian Schultz
Sir John Christian Schultz, KCMG was a Manitoba politician. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1882, a Senator from 1882 to 1888, and the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1888 to 1895.Schultz was born in Amherstburg, Upper Canada...
by 71 votes to 63. Smith was a supporter of Archibald's consensus government, and opposed Schultz's ultra-loyalist Canadian Party
Canadian Party
For the mid-19th century French Canadian party see Parti canadienFor the World War II era party see Parti canadien The Canadian Party was a group founded by John Christian Schultz in 1869, in the Red River Settlement...
; there was a riot among the Ontario soldiers stationed in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
following the announcement of Smith's victory.
Politicians were allowed to serve in both the provincial and federal parliaments in this period of Manitoba history, and Smith was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
for the newly-formed riding of Selkirk
Selkirk (electoral district)
Selkirk was a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1979.This riding was created in 1871 when the province of Manitoba was created....
in early 1871. He sat as an Independent Conservative
Independent Conservative
Independent Conservative is a description allowed in British politics to denote party affiliation. It is used to designate a politician is conservative, yet independent of any political party, particularly of the Conservative Party....
, and initially supported the government of Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
. Easily re-elected in 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...
, Smith was a strong defender of HBC interests in the House of Commons, and also spoke for issues concerning Manitoba and the Northwest. He helped create the Bank of Manitoba and the Manitoba Insurance Company during this period, assisted by banker Sir Hugh Allan
Hugh Allan
Sir Hugh Allan, KCMG was a Scottish-born Canadian shipping magnate, railway promoter, financier and capitalist...
.
In 1872 Smith was appointed in the first group of members of the Temporary North-West Council
Temporary North-West Council
The Temporary North-West Council more formally known as the Council of the Northwest Territories and by its short name as the North-West Council lasted from the creation of Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1870 until it was dissolved in 1876...
the first governing assembly
Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories
The Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories or Legislative Council of the Northwest Territories, Canada, is located in Yellowknife. The Assembly is a unicameral elected body that creates and amends law in the Northwest Territories...
of Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. Smith was one of the few people who served on two provincial / territorial legislatures and the federal parliament at the same time.
Smith broke with Macdonald in 1873, after the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
had delayed reimbursement for Smith's earlier expenses in Red River. Smith voted to censure the government in a motion over the Pacific Scandal
Pacific Scandal
The Pacific Scandal was a political scandal in Canada involving allegations of bribes being accepted by the Conservative government in the attempts of private interests to influence the bidding for a national rail contract...
, and was thereby partly responsible for the government's defeat. Smith remained an Independent Conservative, but his relations with the official Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
representatives were often strained in later years.
Manitoba abolished the "dual mandate" in 1873, and Smith resigned from the provincial legislature in early 1874 (the first person to do so). In the Canadian general election of 1874, Smith defeated 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...
candidate Andrew G. B. Bannatyne
Andrew Bannatyne
Andrew Graham Ballenden Bannatyne was a Canadian politician, fur trader and leading citizen of Winnipeg, Manitoba....
by 329 votes to 225. The Manitoba Free Press, at the time, suggested that Smith had encouraged Bannatyne's candidacy to prevent more serious opposition from emerging.
In 1873, the HBC separated its fur trade and land sales operations, putting Smith in charge of the latter. Smith had developed an interest in railway expansion through his work with the HBC, and in 1875 was among the incorporators of the Manitoba Western Railway. He was also a partner in the Red River Transportation Company, which gained control over the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in March 1878. His business ventures increasingly dominated his labours, and he formally resigned as land commissioner in early 1879 (though remaining a leading figure in the HBC's Canadian operations).
Smith faced a serious electoral challenge from former Manitoba Lieutenant Governor Alexander Morris
Alexander Morris
Alexander Morris, PC was a Canadian politician. He served in the cabinet of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald , and was the second Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba...
in the general election of 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...
. Aided on this occasion by the Manitoba Free Press, Smith defeated Morris by 555 votes to 546; local Conservative organizers protested the result, and it was overturned two years later. On September 10, 1880, Smith was defeated by former Winnipeg Mayor Thomas Scott, 735 votes to 577.
Corporate leader
In May 1879, Smith became a director in the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway Company, having control over 20% of its shares. He was subsequently a leading figure in the creation of the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian 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...
, although he was not appointed as a director of the organization until 1883 because of his lingering animosity with Sir John A. Macdonald (who had again become Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
in 1878). During his tenure on the board, Smith had the honour of driving the last spike
Last Spike (Canadian Pacific Railway)
The Last Spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was the final spike driven into the Canadian Pacific Railway at Craigellachie, British Columbia at 9:22 am on November 7, 1885...
at Craigellachie, British Columbia
Craigellachie, British Columbia
Craigellachie is a locality in British Columbia, located several kilometres to the west of the Eagle Pass summit between Sicamous and Revelstoke...
to complete the construction of 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...
rail line. Smith remained on the board of directors for several years, although he was by-passed for the company's presidency in 1888, in favour of William Cornelius Van Horne
William Cornelius Van Horne
Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, KCMG was a pioneering Canadian railway executive.-Life and career:Born in 1843 in rural Illinois, he moved with his family to Joliet, Illinois when he was eight years old...
.
Smith became extremely wealthy through his investments, and was involved in a myriad of Canadian and American corporations in the later part of the 19th century. He was appointed to the board of the Bank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
in 1872, became its Vice-President in 1882, and was promoted to the Presidency in 1887.
Smith was also involved in the newspaper industry during this period. His attempt to take over the Toronto Globe in 1882 was unsuccessful, though he took effective control of the Manitoba Free Press from William Fisher Luxton in 1893. In 1889, he was the principal shareholder of the Hudson's Bay Company and was elected as its 26th governor, holding this position until his death in 1914.
Later political career
Smith was re-elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1887Canadian federal election, 1887
The Canadian federal election of 1887 was held on February 22, 1887 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 6th Parliament of Canada.The Conservative Party of Prime Minister Sir John A...
, in the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
riding of Montreal West
Montreal West (electoral district)
Montreal West was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commonsfrom 1867 to 1892.It was created by the British North America Act of 1867. It consisted initially of St. Anne Ward, St. Antoine Ward and St. Lawrence Ward. In 1872, St. Anne Ward...
, and once again sat as an "Independent Conservative". He was re-elected in the election of 1891, defeating his only opponent (one James Cochrane
James Cochrane
James Cochrane was a Canadian construction contractor and politician, the Mayor of Montreal, Quebec between 1902 and 1904....
) 4586 votes to 880. Smith remained interested in Manitoba politics, and attempted (without success) to broker a compromise between Thomas Greenway
Thomas Greenway
For the American character actor , see Tom Greenway.Thomas Greenway was a politician, merchant and farmer. He served as the seventh Premier of Manitoba, Canada, from 1888 to 1900...
and the federal government during the Manitoba school crisis of the 1890s.
High Commissioner
Prime Minister Sir Mackenzie BowellMackenzie Bowell
Sir Mackenzie Bowell, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister of Canada from December 21, 1894 to April 27, 1896.-Early life:Bowell was born in Rickinghall, Suffolk, England to John Bowell and Elizabeth Marshall...
wanted Smith to succeed him in 1896, but Smith refused. The position of Prime Minister instead went to Sir Charles Tupper
Charles Tupper
Sir Charles Tupper, 1st Baronet, GCMG, CB, PC was a Canadian father of Confederation: as the Premier of Nova Scotia from 1864 to 1867, he led Nova Scotia into Confederation. He later went on to serve as the sixth Prime Minister of Canada, sworn in to office on May 1, 1896, seven days after...
, who appointed Smith as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom on April 24, 1896.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
retained Smith as High Commissioner following the Liberal election victory of 1896
Canadian federal election, 1896
The Canadian federal election of 1896 was held on June 23, 1896 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Canada. Though the Conservative Party won a plurality of the popular vote, the Liberal Party, led by Wilfrid Laurier, won the majority of seats to form the...
, although his powers were somewhat undercut. He was created Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, of Glencoe in the County of Argyll and of Mount Royal in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
, in 1897. He cooperated with Manitoba Liberal Clifford Sifton
Clifford Sifton
Sir Clifford Sifton, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician best known for being Minister of the Interior under Sir Wilfrid Laurier...
in opening the Canadian prairies to eastern-European immigration. He raised Strathcona's Horse, a private unit of Canadian soldiers, during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, and became one of the leading supporters of British imperialism within London. He was involved in the creation of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
Anglo-Persian Oil Company
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company was founded in 1908 following the discovery of a large oil field in Masjed Soleiman, Iran. It was the first company to extract petroleum from the Middle East...
, of which he became the chairman in 1909. Lord Strathcona subsequently used his influence to make the company a major supplier of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
Philanthropy
Strathcona was a leading philanthropist in his later years, donating large sums of money to various organizations in Britain, Canada and elsewhere. His largest donations were made with George Stephen, donating the money to build the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal that opened its doors in 1893. Strathcona also made a major donation to McGill UniversityMcGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal, where he helped establish a school for women in 1884. He was named Chancellor of McGill in 1888, and held the largely ceremonial post until his death. He also bequeathed funds to the Sheffield Scientific School
Sheffield Scientific School
Sheffield Scientific School was founded in 1847 as a school of Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut for instruction in science and engineering. Originally named the Yale Scientific School, it was renamed in 1861 in honor of Joseph E. Sheffield, the railroad executive. The school was...
for a science and engineering building and to support two professorships in engineering. He had been awarded an honorary degree from Yale in 1892.
In 1905 he bought the island of Colonsay
Colonsay
Colonsay is an island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, located north of Islay and south of Mull and has an area of . It is the ancestral home of Clan Macfie and the Colonsay branch of Clan MacNeill. Aligned on a south-west to north-east axis, it measures in length and reaches at its widest...
in the Inner Hebrides
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
, which remains in the hands of his successors today.
In 1910, Sir Donald Alexander Smith deposited in trust with the Dominion Government the sum of $500,000, bearing annual interest of 4%, to develop citizenship and patriotism in the Royal Canadian Army Cadets movement through physical training, rifle shooting, and military drill. He is remembered today with the Lord Strathcona Medal
Lord Strathcona Medal
The Lord Strathcona Medal, is the highest award which can be bestowed upon a Canadian cadet in recognition of exemplary performance in physical and military training.Lord Strathcona's objectives in establishing his endowment were to:...
.
Lord Strathcona died in 1914 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and buried at Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a cemetery located in north London, England. It is designated Grade I on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. It is divided into two parts, named the East and West cemetery....
. His seventy-five year tenure with the Hudson's Bay Company remains a record.
Memorials
Lord Strathcona is commemorated in Manitoba by the Rural Municipality of StrathconaStrathcona, Manitoba
Strathcona is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada.-External links:*...
and by three streets in Winnipeg: Donald Street and Smith Street
Winnipeg Route 42
Route 42 is a major arterial road located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It connects the suburbs of North Kildonan, East Kildonan, Fort Rouge, Fort Garry, and St. Norbert with the city's downtown core...
in the downtown core, and Strathcona Street in the city's West End
West End, Winnipeg
The West End of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is a mostly residential area just west of Downtown Winnipeg. It is bordered by Route 62 on the east and stretches as far west as St. James Street, the boundary between the old City of Winnipeg and St. James-Assiniboia...
. In Alberta he is commemorated by the Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
neighbourhood of Strathcona Park and by the Edmonton neighbourhood of Strathcona
Strathcona, Edmonton
Strathcona is a residential neighbourhood in south central Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is a part of, and should not be confused with, Old Strathcona, although much of the Strathcona neighbourhood is in Old Strathcona...
. In British Columbia, the Vancouver neighbourhood of Strathcona takes its name from the Lord Strathcona School built in 1891. There are oil portraits of Lord Strathcona by many artists, but the Swiss-born American artist Adolfo Müller-Ury
Adolfo Müller-Ury
Adolfo Muller-Ury was a Swiss-born American portrait painter and impressionistic painter of roses and still life.-Heritage and early life in Switzerland:...
seems to have made a number of head and shoulder portraits of him from 1898 (examples may be found at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad offices, and in the Hudson's Bay Company [this has a repainted background]). The Town of Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories is named after Donald Smith. There is a stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
window memorialising him in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
.