John Oliver (July 31, 1856 – August 17, 1927) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

politician and farmer, who served as the 19th

premier of British Columbia The premier of British Columbia is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s, the title ''prime minister of British Columbia'' was often used. The word ''premier'' is derived ...

. As a prominent figure in the province’s early political landscape, Oliver served in various capacities, including as

leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...

and minister of Agriculture, and contributed significantly to the development of

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 ...

’s agricultural and railway sectors. A member of the former

British Columbia Liberal Party BC United (BCU), known from 1903 until 2023 as the British Columbia Liberal Party or BC Liberals, is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party has been described as conservative, neoliberal, and occupying a centre-right ...

, Oliver was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1900 provincial election. After serving as the leader of the Opposition, he lost his seat in 1909 but returned the legislature in the 1916 election. That year, he was appointed minister of Agriculture and minister of Railways in premier Harlan Carey Brewster's cabinet. Following Brewster's death in 1918, Oliver succeeded him as premier. In addition to his role as premier, Oliver held the portfolios of minister of Agriculture (1918), minister of Railways (1918–1922), and minister of industry (1919–1922). Under his leadership, his administration prioritized agricultural development, notably in the Okanagan Valley, which became a hub for the province's produce industry. Oliver's government also advocated for reduced rail freight rates to improve the economic viability of British Columbia’s agricultural exports. A notable moment in Oliver's tenure was the 1923 visit of U.S. president

Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...

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, marking the first visit of a sitting U.S. president to Canada. Oliver served as premier until his death in 1927. His legacy endures through numerous places named in his honor, including John Oliver Secondary School in Vancouver, John Oliver Park in

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, Mount John Oliver in the Cariboo Mountains' Premier Range, the town of Oliver, British Columbia, and Oliver Street in Williams Lake, British Columbia.

Electoral history

, Liberal , John Oliver , align="right", 447 , align="right", 59.13% , align="right", , align="right", unknown , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Total valid votes !align="right", 756 !align="right", 100.00% !align="right", , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Total rejected ballots !align="right", !align="right", !align="right", , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Turnout !align="right", % !align="right", !align="right", , Liberal , John Oliver , align="right", 430 , align="right", 62.23% , align="right", , align="right", unknown , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Total valid votes !align="right", 691 !align="right", 100.00% !align="right", , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Total rejected ballots !align="right", !align="right", !align="right", , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Turnout !align="right", % !align="right", !align="right", , Liberal , John Oliver , align="right", 551 , align="right", 41.87% , align="right", , align="right", unknown , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Total valid votes !align="right", 1,316 !align="right", 100.00% !align="right", , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Total rejected ballots !align="right", !align="right", !align="right", , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Turnout !align="right", % !align="right", !align="right", , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=7, ¹ Results of recount as reported in New Westminster Columbian 29 November 1909, p. 1 , Liberal , John Oliver , align="right", 308 , align="right", 29.17% , align="right", , align="right", unknown , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Total valid votes !align="right", 1,056 !align="right", 100.00% !align="right", , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Total rejected ballots !align="right", !align="right", !align="right", , - bgcolor="white" !align="right" colspan=3, Turnout !align="right", % !align="right", !align="right",

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, John 1856 births 1927 deaths Premiers of British Columbia Leaders of the opposition (British Columbia) English emigrants to Canada BC United MLAs Leaders of BC United People from Hartington, Derbyshire 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia