James Conmee (October 13, 1848 – July 23, 1913) was an
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 ...
businessman and political figure. He represented
Algoma West
Algoma West was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1904 to 1968. It was created in 1903 from parts of Algoma riding.
The west riding of Algoma was defined to consist of ...
from 1885 to 1902 and
Port Arthur and Rainy River
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
from 1902 to 1904 in 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 ...
and
Thunder Bay and Rainy River
Thunder Bay and Rainy River was a federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1904 to 1917. It was located in the northwestern part of the province of Ontario. This riding was created in 1903 from parts of Algom ...
in the
House of Commons of Canada
The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.
The House of Common ...
from 1904 to 1911 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 ...
member.
[Parliamentarian File from the Library of Parliament](_blank)
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Biography
He was born in Sydenham Township, Canada West
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...
in 1848, the son of Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
immigrants Matthew Conmee and Rosanna O'Shaughnessey, the youngest of four children (three boys, one girl). Although his education was rudimentary and better educated political enemies mocked his grammatical skills, he became over time a skilled and formidable debater. James was underage when he and his brother John sought adventure and joined the 8th New York Cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
Regiment 21 March 1865 at Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...
. From about 1886, biographical sources like the Canadian Parliamentary Guide The Canadian Parliamentary Guide, formerly known as the ''Canadian Parliamentary Companion'' and the ''Canadian Parliamentary Companion and Annual Register'', is a reference publication which lists the members of the House of Commons of Canada and ...
state that he served under General George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars.
Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...
, but the commander of the 8th New York Cavalry in 1865 was Colonel Edmund Mann Pope Edmund Mann Pope (February 21, 1837 – June 5, 1906) was an American businessman, soldier and politician.
Pope was born in Penfield, New York, Penfield, Monroe County, New York and went to the public schools. Pope served in Union Army during t ...
(1837-1906). The regiment was part of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division, commanded by Brevet Major-General George A. Custer, from March 1865, and was disbanded 27 June 1865. In 1872, at the age of 22 he moved to Fort William to work at a sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
on the Kaministiquia River
The Kaministiquia River is a river which flows into western Lake Superior at the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. ''Kaministiquia'' (''Gaa-ministigweyaa'') is an Ojibwe word meaning "where a stream flows in island" due to two large islands (McKellar ...
. In 1874, he married Emily Florence Cox. From 1876 to 1877, he held the contract to deliver mail between Silver Islet
Silver Islet refers to both a small rocky island and a small community located at the tip of the Sibley Peninsula in northwestern Ontario, Canada.
A rich vein of pure silver was discovered on this small island in 1868 by the Montreal Mining ...
and Pigeon River. He was a contractor involved in laying track for the Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
in northern Ontario, later working on contracts for the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway
The Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway (PADW) was a Canadian railway that operated in Northwestern Ontario.
The PADW was built in 1889 by investors interested in extracting the mineral and timber wealth of the Whitefish River Valley, Silver ...
, Algoma Central Railway
The Algoma Central Railway is a railway in Northern Ontario that operates between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst. It used to have a branch line to Wawa, Ontario. The area served by the railway is sparsely populated, with few roads.
The rai ...
and other railways in the region. The Bell Telephone Company squeezed out his attempt to secure a municipal telephone franchise when he established the Port Arthur (Ontario) Telephone Company in 1885, in alliance with the Toronto Telephone Manufacturing Company. He would later be involved in setting up other utility companies, the only one of which succeeded was the Port Arthur, Water, Light and Power Company. He also served as first President of the Ontario Mining Institute.
Lawsuit
Conmee fought and eventually won a lawsuit launched against him and his partner John Donald McLennan by the Canadian Pacific Railway for defrauding the company on their Michipicoten contract. Both parties to the lawsuit hired the best lawyers available. The success and visibility of this case led to his meeting with Sir 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 ...
and they became best friends and confidants. Sir Wilfred introduced him on the floor of the House of Commons stating to the many lawyers elected that "here is a true lawyer". Laurier is said to have asked "Where did this Conmee come from, and how is it he can come here and teach the lawyers law?" Their friendship and collaboration continued until Conmee's death.
Political career
In 1878, he became a tax collector for the Municipality of Shuniah. In 1879, Conmee was elected to the municipal council representing Prince Arthur's Landing ward in the Municipality of Shuniah. In 1885 he served as the second mayor of Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario, Canada, located on Lake Superior. In January 1970, it amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay.
Port Arthur had been the district seat of ...
, the same year the provincial constituency of Algoma was split into Algoma East and Algoma West. He was elected to represent Algoma West
Algoma West was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1904 to 1968. It was created in 1903 from parts of Algoma riding.
The west riding of Algoma was defined to consist of ...
in 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 ...
and won every subsequent provincial election until 1904 when he switched to federal politics. Conmee ran unsuccessfully in 1896 for the Nipissing seat in the House of Commons before being elected in 1904 on a platform of supporting Sir Wilfrid Laurier's transcontinental railway policy which would bring enormous benefits to his constituency.
In 1911, Conmee retired from politics due to poor health related to tuberculosis and kidney afflictions. He could see the handwriting on the wall when Laurier and the Liberal Party lost the election of 1911. The younger and more dynamic John James Carrick
John James Carrick (September 17, 1873 – May 11, 1966) was an Ontario real estate promoter and political figure. He was always referred to by his initials as J.J. Carrick. Carrick served as mayor of Port Arthur in 1908. He represented Po ...
was sure to win the seat for the Conservatives. Conmee died in Prescott, Arizona
Prescott ( ) is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the city's population was 45,827. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County.
In 1864, Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona T ...
in 1913 and was buried at Port Arthur.
Legacy
Conmee wrote the lyrics to a patriotic song, ''The national flag'', with music by Henry Herbert Godfrey
Henry may refer to:
People
* Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portuga ...
. This song represents one of the first "National Anthems" of Canada.
Mr. Conmee was an adventurer, entrepreneur, social advocate, and inventor. He attempted to introduce the first telephone system to the Head of the Lakes (or Canadian Lakehead) He understood the potential of hydro electric power long before it became common. He worked long into the night almost every night in a locked laboratory on various gadgets and inventions including the calculating weighscale. He purchased Nun's Island near Montreal on sight recognizing the potential of the Lachine Rapids
The Lachine Rapids (french: Rapides de Lachine) are a series of rapids on the Saint Lawrence River, between the Island of Montreal and the south shore. They are located near the former city of Lachine.
The Lachine Rapids contain large standing ...
for hydro electricity. He also explicitly requested and was given title to all the waters that fed into the Falls and Rapids in order to protect the potential hydro development. This extremely valuable asset was sold for a song when he believed that the purchaser could promote and develop hydro power quicker than he could and he did not want to stand in the way.
St. Joseph's Hospital in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) was established on land donated in the backyard of his homestead. He also provided or arranged all funding for the construction of the hospital. In a show of respect, the only portion of the hospital funded by the Nuns who ran it at the time is the entrance and plaque which still bears his name as of 2007. The heritage homestead was destroyed in 1968 to increase parking space - ironically about the same time as the popular tune about destroying paradise to put up a parking lot.
Conmee was able to secure federal funding to support the development of the Port Arthur harbour which played an important role in the later development of the city's economy.
Conmee Township west of Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...
was named after him.
References
External links
''The Canadian parliamentary companion, 1891'' JA Gemmill
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Conmee, James
1848 births
1913 deaths
Liberal Party of Canada MPs
Mayors of Port Arthur, Ontario
Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario
Ontario Liberal Party MPPs
Politicians from Thunder Bay