Harold Ernest Forster (1869 – September 26, 1940) was a rancher, miner and political figure in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. He represented Columbia from 1912 until his retirement at the 1916 provincial election as an Independent Conservative. He was born in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, but both his parents died before he was one year old, and he was raised by a grandmother in Galt, Ontario and uncles who lived near

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Forster travelled with Harold Topham, a British climber, during Topham's visit to the Selkirks in 1890. In 1912, he married Meda Hume. He had purchased a ranch in the upper Columbia Valley in 1898. Forster was the owner of the '' SS Selkirk'', a sternwheeler steamboat that he had transported by rail to the upper

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...

. He and John Lundy, a house guest, were shot by a Cranbrook man who had asked the two men for liquor and been refused. Forster's house was burned in an attempt to cover up the crime. Frank Sylvester was hanged for the murder of John Lundy the following year. Mount Forster, Forster Creek and Forster Pass were named after him.

References

1869 births 1940 deaths British Columbia Conservative Party MLAs People murdered in British Columbia Deaths by firearm in British Columbia People murdered in 1940 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia {{Conservative-BritishColumbia-MLA-stub