John Graham McNiven (April 2, 1900 – September 27, 1969) was a mine engineer, mine operator and politician from the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
, Canada.
McNiven was a 1923 graduate of the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
(M.Sc. in Mining Engineering) and worked for several years in mining camps in Ontario. He first came to
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in 1938 to work as mill superintendent of
Negus Mines Ltd. His family joined him by in 1940. Upon the resignation of mine manager Bill Stuart, McNiven was promoted to this position in May 1939 where he remained until the mine closed in 1952. In 1946 he established a chapter of the Grand Lodge of Alberta (
Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
), the first lodge in the Northwest Territories.
McNiven became the first member of the
Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories from the Arctic; in 1947 he was appointed to the council, for
Yellowknife. At that time he was the only member living in the territory to serve. He would serve on the council until it was dissolved for the
1951 general election.
In the November 1953 municipal election, in which McNiven ran un-opposed, he became the first mayor of
Yellowknife. The position was effective January 1, 1954 for two years; however, McNiven did not complete his term, resigning in October 1954 to focus on his mine engineering business.
[The News of the North, October 15, 1954] In 1955, he took the position of mine manager at the
Port Radium or Eldorado uranium mine on Great Bear Lake where he guided the mine to a close in September 1960. McNiven retired from Eldorado Nuclear Limited in 1965, and died at his Salt Springs, British Columbia home in September 1969.
A number of local points in Yellowknife are named after him, including Niven Lake, McNiven Beach and Niven Drive. A tug owned by the
Northern Transportation Company Limited, based in the town of
Hay River Hay River may refer to:
Places
* Hay River, Northwest Territories
* Hay River, Wisconsin
Rivers
* Hay River (Wisconsin)
* Hay River (Canada), a river in Alberta and Northwest Territories, Canada
* Hay River, Northern Territory, Australia
* Hay R ...
, was also named after him - M/V ''Jock McNiven''.
References
External links
Yellowknife Municipal Council MinutesHistory of the Grand Lodge of Alberta
1900 births
1969 deaths
Mayors of Yellowknife
Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
{{NorthwestTerritories-politician-stub