User:Connormah/Edgar Dewdney

Edgar Dewdney, PC (November 5, 1835 – August 8, 1916) was a Canadian politician born in Devonshire, England. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Northwest Territories and the fifth Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

Early life, education and career
Edgar Dewdney was born in Budleigh, Devonshire, England on November 5, 1835. His father, Charles Dewdney was described as a gentleman, and of assumed higher class, since Dewdney received an education "only available to wealthier classes." He attended school in Bideford, Tiverton and Exeter, England, before he studied civil engineering in Cardiff, Wales. He later served for a year as a private secretary in London.

Dewdney immigrated to the colony British Columbia, departing England in March 1859 and arriving in Victoria on May 13 of that year. Originally intending to pursue opportunities in India, he learned of the discovery of gold in British Columbia in 1857, and decided to seek fortune there. After presenting a letter to James Douglas, the governor of the colony, he shortly found work as a surveyor.

Originally, he was involved in surveying the site of New Westminster for construction of government buildings and the sale of lots. Among his many surveying contracts he obtained, he is most remembered for his work in the southern mountains, where he helped construct a 400 kilometre long trail, that served as a principle route to the interior. Known as "Dewdney Trail," it was built to ensure control over the growth of gold mining in the colony.

He had also became minimally involved with farming, engaging in a partnership with friends at Sea Island, and making hay from heavy grasses found on the island, and selling it as feed, but only minimal profits were achieved. He was also involved in cattle ranching from 1867 to 1872 on land that he owned in Soda Creek.

Political career
Dewdney was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 1869 to the electoral district of Kootenay. During a debate on confederation of British Columbia with Canada, he supported confederation, but opposed responsible government, though he played no part in bringing the colony into Canada in 1871. He was elected to the federal parliament as a conservative member for Yale in 1872, and was re-elected in 1874 and by acclamation in 1878.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs
A loyal follower of prime minister John A. Macdonald throughout the Pacific Scandal, and throughout the rest of his career, he also supported a route through the Fraser Valley during discussions on construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which was later constructed. He continued to serve as a Member of Parliament until he was appointed the Commissioner of Indian Affairs of the North-West Territories on May 30, 1879. An issue that Dewdney faced was the arrival of the Sioux, led by Sitting Bull, from the United States. The government did not support American Native peoples, and wanted to avoid warfare between Aboriginal groups, thus resulting in the return of the Sioux to the United States.

Among key issues Dewdney faced as Commissioner of Indian Affairs was dealing with complications with Métis and First Nations that were slowing progress during the construction of the CPR toward the pacific coast. He was put in charge of overseeing the relief of the Native peoples, and provide assistance on adapting to new lifestyles, through implementing an agricultural program, and taking a tour of the territory to meet with various tribe leaders. Another issue Dewdney faced was the amount of peoples facing starvation with the decline of buffalo. Although refusing to provide full rations for all Natives, he instructed those responsible for providing them to make decisions "guided by circumstance." He made it clear in a report in 1880 that his goal was to achieve Native self-sufficiency in the long term, with cultivating of their own food. He remained in this position until 1892.

Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories
On advice of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, Dewdney was appointed Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories by The Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada on December 3, 1881, on which he was sworn in. He briefly took up residence at the territorial capital, Battleford, until the capital was moved to Regina in 1883, as Battleford was deemed unfit as a the capital city, as it was far from populated areas and railway stations of the Territories. Although assuming office in December 1881, his first meeting with the North-West Council did not take place until 1883, the delay most likely being caused by the selection of a new capital. During the meeting, a lengthly document was drafted outlining 16 concerns, some being of them being the issue of Métis land rights, the need for two more magistrates for the Territory for increased funding to improve navigation of the Saskatchewan River, and the need for a Territorial representative in Parliament. After re-affirming its support for Métis land rights the following year and sending petitions to the Dominion Government, the issue failed to be resolved.

Post territorial politics
After his term as Lieutenant-Governor of the Northwest Territories, Dewdney was again elected to Parliament and served as the member for Assiniboia East (now southeastern Saskatchewan) from 1888 to 1891. During this period he also served as minister of the Interior and superintendent of Indian Affairs.

In 1892, he was appointed to the non-executive post of Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. He served in this post until 1897.

He retired from politics in 1900, after unsuccessfully running for Parliament in New Westminster, British Columbia.

Personal life
On March 28, 1864, Dewdney married Jane Shaw Moir, the daughter of Stratton Moir, a plantation owner in Colombo, Ceylon. The couple had met in 1860 on a steamboat going to Hope, where Jane and her mother, Susan were travelling to a homestead near the area. After Jane died of cancer on January 30, 1906, Dewdney visited England in 1909 and married Blanche Elizabeth Platagenet Kemeys-Tynte, a daughter of Colonel Charles Kemeys-Tynte, a former Member of Parliament for the United Kingdom. Dewdney had no children, and was affiliated with the Church of England.

Death and legacy
Dewdney died of heart failure on August 8, 1916 in Victoria, British Columbia. Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Francis Stillman Barnard declared the day of Dewdney's public funeral a holiday. Among those in attendance were Charles Tupper, George Henry Barnard, and various members of the Dominion and provincial public service. He was buried at the Ross Bay Cemetry in Victoria alongside his first wife, Jane. Blanche, his second wife returned to England, where she died in 1936.

Dewdney had the prenomial "the Honourable" and the postnomial "PC" for life by virtue of being made a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada on September 25, 1888.

Heritage

 * A major east-west street in Regina, Dewdney Avenue, is named after him; Government House, the original Territorial government building and the local detachment of the RCMP (formerly its headquarters before these were transferred to Ottawa) and national training centre are on Dewdney Avenue.
 * Dewdney, British Columbia is the name of a locality immediately east of Mission, British Columbia, located below the 920 m Dewdney Peak on the north shore of the Fraser River. The community was the namesake of the former Dewdney provincial electoral district and also of the now-dismantled Dewdney-Alouette Regional District
 * The Dewdney Trunk Road was one of the earliest main roads in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, running from Port Moody to the community of Dewdney. Today it exists in sections in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam is a major thoroughfare running between Maple Ridge and Mission (where it is now officially Dewdney Street), today ending short of Dewdney at Hatzic.