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 from 1902 to 1905, and was the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1911 to 1916. Cameron was born in

Hawkesbury Hawkesbury or Hawksbury may refer to: People *Baron Hawkesbury, or Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool (1727-1808), English statesman Places ;Geography *Hawkesbury Island, an island in British Columbia, Canada * Hawkesbury Island, Queensland ...

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(now

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), 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), 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 as a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

for the riding of

Fort William and Lake of the Woods A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, defeating

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

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, ...

to better oversee his business ventures. Cameron stood as a

candidate for

in the 1908 federal election, but lost to

Alexander Haggart Alexander Haggart (January 20, 1848 – February 19, 1927) was a Canadian lawyer, judge and political figure in Manitoba. He represented Winnipeg in the House of Commons of Canada from 1909 to 1911 as a Conservative. Biography He was born ...

by 8747 votes to 6729.

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

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 Sir Rodmond Palen Roblin (February 15, 1853 – February 16, 1937) was a businessman and politician in Manitoba, Canada. Early life and career Roblin was born in Sophiasburgh, in Prince Edward County, Canada West (later Ontario). The Robli ...

'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 in the 1914

New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

. 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