Sir Douglas Colin Cameron (June 8, 1854 – November 27, 1921) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) 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 ...

politician. He served in the

Ontario Legislature The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

from 1902 to 1905, and was the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1911 to 1916. Cameron was born in Hawkesbury, Canada West (now

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

), and was educated at Vankleek Hill High School. He did not attend college. Cameron moved to Manitoba in 1878, and worked as a contractor at

Brandon Brandon may refer to: Names and people *Brandon (given name), a male given name * Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins Places Australia *Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales *Brandon, Q ...

. Cameron then moved to Rat Portage (now

Kenora Kenora (), previously named Rat Portage (french: Portage-aux-Rats), is a city situated on the Lake of the Woods in Ontario, Canada, close to the Manitoba boundary, and about east of Winnipeg by road. It is the seat of Kenora District. The his ...

), which was claimed by both Manitoba and Ontario at the time. He oversaw developments in the lumbering and mining trades, opened a saw mill, and was one of the founders of the Maple Leaf Flour Mills. In later years, he would become President of Rat Portage Lumber Company. Cameron entered politics in 1901, having been elected as a councillor in Rat Portage. He would later serve as the city's mayor. In 1902, he was elected to the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

as a

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for the riding of Fort William and Lake of the Woods, defeating Conservative Thomas Smellie, 1483 votes to 1121. Cameron sat as a backbench supporter of Premier George Ross for the next three years. The Liberals lost the election of 1905, and Cameron lost his own riding to Smellie, 1536 votes to 1228. Shortly thereafter, he moved to

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

to better oversee his business ventures. Cameron stood as a

candidate for

in the 1908 federal election, but lost to Conservative Alexander Haggart by 8747 votes to 6729.

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Wilfrid Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier, ( ; ; November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadian prime minis ...

appointed Cameron Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba on August 1, 1911. The position was largely ceremonial by this time, and Cameron had little involvement in the day-to-day affairs of the province's government. In 1915, however, Cameron used his constitutional authority to call a Royal Commission of Enquiry into an ongoing scandal involving the construction costs of the province's new legislative buildings. The Commission upheld charges against Rodmond Roblin's government by the opposition Liberals, and Roblin was forced to resign. Cameron was made a

Knight Commander Commander ( it, Commendatore; french: Commandeur; german: Komtur; es, Comendador; pt, Comendador), or Knight Commander, is a title of honor prevalent in chivalric orders and fraternal orders. The title of Commander occurred in the medieval mili ...

of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

in the 1914 New Year Honours. Cameron's term in office ended in 1916. He died in 1921.

References

Past Lieutenant Governors - Government of Manitoba
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Douglas 1854 births 1921 deaths Canadian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Candidates in the 1908 Canadian federal election Liberal Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons Lieutenant Governors of Manitoba Mayors of Kenora Ontario Liberal Party MPPs People from Hawkesbury, Ontario