Francis Cochrane
Encyclopedia
Francis Cochrane, PC
(November 18, 1852 – September 22, 1919) was a Canadian
politician.
, he was the first president of the town's board of trade and later served as mayor of the town in 1897, 1898 and 1902 after winning a council seat in 1896.
Along with local businessman William McVittie, he subsequently invested in the Wahnapitae Power Company, which was contracted to provide the town's hydroelectricity
services until it was sold to the Hydroelectric Power Commission of Ontario
in 1929. Cochrane and McVittie also ventured into prospecting
, developing the Frood Extension
property in 1908.
candidate in Nipissing West
in the 1902 election
, but was defeated by Joseph Michaud
. He did not run in the 1905 election
, although Premier James P. Whitney nonetheless announced an intention to give him a cabinet portfolio. This appointment was delayed when Cochrane slipped while boarding a moving train in Sudbury and lost part of his right leg, but in May of that year, Whitney transferred the Crown lands portfolio to a new Ministry of Lands, Forests and Mines and appointed Cochrane as the new minister. Cochrane was then acclaimed into office in a by-election
in Nipissing East
, succeeding Charles Lamarche
.
He was reelected in the 1908 election
in the new electoral district of Sudbury
.
to the Senate in 1911, Cochrane opted not to stand for re-election in the imminent 1911 provincial election
, but instead stood as the Conservative candidate in the resulting federal by-election in Nipissing
.
Cochrane served in Nipissing until 1917, and was Minister of Railways and Canals
in the government of Sir Robert Borden
from October 1911 until October 1917.
In 1917, he ran as the Unionist
-Conservative candidate in the new district of Timiskaming
. He was re-elected, and served as Minister without Portfolio
until his death in 1919.
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,...
(November 18, 1852 – September 22, 1919) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician.
Municipal career
A prosperous hardware merchant in Sudbury, OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, he was the first president of the town's board of trade and later served as mayor of the town in 1897, 1898 and 1902 after winning a council seat in 1896.
Along with local businessman William McVittie, he subsequently invested in the Wahnapitae Power Company, which was contracted to provide the town's hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
services until it was sold to the Hydroelectric Power Commission of Ontario
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
in 1929. Cochrane and McVittie also ventured into prospecting
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
, developing the Frood Extension
Frood Mine
Frood-Stobie Mine is a nickel mine in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.During World War II, Frood Mine alone accounted for a full 40 per cent of all the nickel used in Allied artillery production. In 1989, Frood Mine shared the John T...
property in 1908.
Provincial career
Cochrane first ran for provincial office in 1902 as the Conservative PartyProgressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
candidate in Nipissing West
Nipissing West
Nipissing West was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Ontario, active from 1902 to 1908.Due to population growth, the district of Nipissing was divided into Nipissing West and Nipissing East for the 1902 election. By 1908, however, the town of Sudbury had grown enough to...
in the 1902 election
Ontario general election, 1902
The Ontario general election, 1902 was the tenth general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on May 29, 1902, to elect the 98 Members of the 10th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
, but was defeated by Joseph Michaud
Joseph Michaud (Ontario politician)
Joseph Michaud was a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Nipissing West in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1902 to 1904.A member of the Liberal Party, he was elected in the 1902 election.-External links:...
. He did not run in the 1905 election
Ontario general election, 1905
The Ontario general election, 1905 was the 11th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on January 25, 1905, to elect the 98 Members of the 11th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
, although Premier James P. Whitney nonetheless announced an intention to give him a cabinet portfolio. This appointment was delayed when Cochrane slipped while boarding a moving train in Sudbury and lost part of his right leg, but in May of that year, Whitney transferred the Crown lands portfolio to a new Ministry of Lands, Forests and Mines and appointed Cochrane as the new minister. Cochrane was then acclaimed into office in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Nipissing East
Nipissing East
Nipissing East was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Ontario, active from 1902 to 1908.Due to population growth, the district of Nipissing was divided into Nipissing East and Nipissing West for the 1902 election...
, succeeding Charles Lamarche
Charles Lamarche
Charles Lamarche was a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Nipissing East in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1905.A member of the Conservative Party, he was elected in the 1905 election...
.
He was reelected in the 1908 election
Ontario general election, 1908
The Ontario general election, 1908 was the 12th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 8, 1908, to elect the 106 Members of the 12th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
in the new electoral district of Sudbury
Sudbury (provincial electoral district)
Sudbury is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1908. It is one of the two districts serving the city of Greater Sudbury.Its population in 2001 was 89,443....
.
Federal career
Following the appointment of George GordonGeorge Gordon (Canadian politician)
George Gordon was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Nipissing in the Canadian House of Commons from 1908 to 1911. He was then appointed to the Senate, where he served until his death in 1942...
to the Senate in 1911, Cochrane opted not to stand for re-election in the imminent 1911 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1911
The Ontario general election, 1911 was the 13th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on December 11, 1911, to elect the 106 Members of the 13th Legislative Assembly of Ontario .The Ontario Conservative Party, led by Sir James P...
, but instead stood as the Conservative candidate in the resulting federal by-election in Nipissing
Nipissing (electoral district)
Nipissing was a federal electoral district that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1896 to 2004. It was located in the northeastern part of Ontario, Canada....
.
Cochrane served in Nipissing until 1917, and was Minister of Railways and Canals
Minister of Railways and Canals (Canada)
The portfolio of Minister of Railways and Canals was created by Statute 42 Victoria, c. 7, assented to May 15, 1879 and proclaimed in force May 20, 1879. The Minister was the member of the Canadian Cabinet responsible for the administration of the Department of Railways and Canals...
in the government of Sir Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
from October 1911 until October 1917.
In 1917, he ran as the Unionist
Unionist Party (Canada)
The Unionist Party was formed in 1917 by Members of Parliament in Canada who supported the "Union government" formed by Sir Robert Borden during the First World War....
-Conservative candidate in the new district of Timiskaming
Timiskaming (electoral district)
Timiskaming was a federal electoral district in the northeastern part of Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1925, and from 1935 to 1997....
. He was re-elected, and served as Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
until his death in 1919.