Hewitt Bostock,PC (May 31, 1864 – April 28, 1930) was a Canadian publisher, businessman and politician.
He was born in Walton Heath,Epsom, England and studied atTrinity College, Cambridge graduating with honours in mathematics.[1] Bostock then studied law and was called to the bar in 1888. Rather than begin a legal practice he toured North America, Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan before settling inBritish Columbia in 1893. He purchased theMonte Creek Ranch (also known as the Ducks Ranch) in 1888, taking up residence there in 1894.[2] In addition to the ranch, he also operated a lumber company.
He founded theProvince newspaper in 1894.[citation needed] He then entered politics winning election to theHouse of Commons of Canada as aLiberal in the1896 election, representing the riding ofYale—Cariboo for one term (until the1900 election).
In 1904, he was appointed to theSenate of Canada by the prime minister,Wilfrid Laurier. A decade later he becameLeader of the Opposition in the Canadian Senate. Bostock broke with theLaurier Liberals over theConscription Crisis of 1917, and became aLiberal-Unionist, campaigning in favour of theUnion government of SirRobert Borden during the1917 election.
Following World War I, Bostock reconciled with the Liberals and, in 1921, becameMinister of Public Works in the Liberal government ofWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King. Several months later, in 1922, he becameSpeaker of the Senate of Canada and held the position until his death in 1930. In 1925, he served as a member of the Canadian delegation to the Assembly of theLeague of Nations.
There is a Mount Hewitt Bostock (2183 m or 7162 ft)[3] named in his honour[4] in the northern end of theCanadian Cascades, about 20 kilometres northeast of theFraser Canyon town ofBoston Bar, which is in what had been the riding ofYale—Cariboo where his political career began (today inChilliwack—Fraser Canyon).
His eldest daughterMarian Noel Sherman was a physician in India and a prominenthumanist in western Canada.[5]
| Parliament of Canada | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The electoral district was created in 1892. | Member of Parliament forYale—Cariboo 1896–1900 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Canada 1914–1919 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Canada 1920–1921 | Succeeded by |