Sir John Morison Gibson (January 1, 1842 – June 3, 1929) 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
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
and the
tenth Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The lieutenant governor of Ontario (, in French: ''Lieutenant-gouverneur'' (if male) or ''Lieutenante-gouverneure'' (if female) ''de l'Ontario'') is the viceregal representative in Ontario of the , who operates distinctly within the province bu ...
.
Biography
John Morison Gibson, the son of Scottish immigrants, was born in 1842, in Toronto. He grew up on a farm in Caledonia, Ontario, went to Hamilton Central School, in Hamilton, and went on to be educated at 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 ...
, as a lawyer. In 1860 he joined the university company of the 2nd Battalion Volunteer Militia of
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
("In peace prepared")
, colours = None (Rifle regiments have no colours)
, march =
, mascot =
, battle_honours = See #Battle honours
, website ...
and was a Wimbledon marksman in 1874. He became a company director and developed a keen interest in music and art. On his return to Hamilton in 1864, he enlisted in the 13th Battalion as an ensign. In 1866, he was a lieutenant in the 13th Battalion, and fought at the
Battle of Ridgeway
The Battle of Ridgeway (sometimes the Battle of Lime Ridge or Limestone Ridge) was fought in the vicinity of the town of Fort Erie across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York, near the village of Ridgeway, Canada West, currently Ontario, Ca ...
, defending against the
Fenian raids. He rose through the ranks of the 13th Battalion and was Commanding Officer from 1886 to 1895 (see regimental history
Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)
The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) (RHLI) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, based at John Weir Foote VC Armoury in Hamilton, Ontario. The RHLI is part of 31 Canadian Brigade Group, which is part of 4 ...
). He was a Member of the Legislature from 1879 to 1905 and held the posts of
Provincial Secretary, Commissioner of Crown Lands and
Attorney General of Ontario
The Attorney General of Ontario is the chief legal adviser to His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario and, by extension, the Government of Ontario. The Attorney General is a senior member of the Executive Council of Ontario (the cabinet) and ...
. Gibson was appointed
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The lieutenant governor of Ontario (, in French: ''Lieutenant-gouverneur'' (if male) or ''Lieutenante-gouverneure'' (if female) ''de l'Ontario'') is the viceregal representative in Ontario of the , who operates distinctly within the province bu ...
in 1908,
and was knighted in 1912. During his mandate, the new Government House in
Chorley Park
Government House was the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada and Ontario, Canada. Four buildings were used for this purpose, none of which exist today, making Ontario one of four provinces not to have an official vice-reg ...
(now demolished) was completed. Gibson served as Lieutenant Governor until 1914. He was one of Hamilton's "5 Johns", who, in 1896, formed the Dominion Power and Transmission Company, that brought hydroelectric power, for the first time, to Hamilton, from their plant, at DeCew Falls.
John Dickenson was another of the 5 Johns.
"One big reason" for almost 75% increase in the population of Hamilton between 1901 and 1912, boasted Sir John Morison Gibson of ''Dominion Power and Transmission Company'', was "Cheap Electric Power Furnished By Us." This simplistic explanation for the development of Hamilton in the early twentieth century leaves much unexamined, but one conclusion cannot be disputed. In the perception of the Hamilton public, a view certainly fostered by Gibson and his fellow hydroelectric promoters, Hamilton was no longer regarded the Birmingham or the Pittsburgh of Canada Hamilton was now, as the title of a 1906 promotional booklet on the city proudly proclaimed, "The Electric City."
[
After receiving a grant from ]Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
of New York the city of Hamilton built a brand new Library on the south side of Main Street West, across the street from the old Library. It was officially opened by the Lieutenant Governor Sir John Morison Gibson on May 5, 1913. He was active in many charities, especially the Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
and child welfare. He died in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
in 1929.
Tribute
The Gibson
Gibson may refer to:
People
* Gibson (surname)
Businesses
* Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment
* Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based
* Gi ...
neighbourhood in Hamilton is named after him. it is bounded by Barton Street East (north), Main Street East (south), Wentworth Street (west) and Sherman Avenue (east). Landmarks in this neighbourhood include Cathedral High School, ''Budget Motor Inn'', ''Barton Library'', ''Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board'', ''Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board'', ''Powell Park'' and ''Woodland Park''. Gibson Avenue, found in this neighbourhood, is also named after him.
References
* MapArt Golden Horseshoe
The Golden Horseshoe is a secondary region of Southern Ontario, Canada, which lies at the western end of Lake Ontario, with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Lake Scugog, Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. The r ...
Atlas - Page 647 - Grids F14, G14
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, John Morison
1842 births
1929 deaths
University of Toronto alumni
Lawyers in Ontario
Canadian King's Counsel
Attorneys General of Ontario
Canadian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Lieutenant Governors of Ontario
Canadian people of Scottish descent
Politicians from Hamilton, Ontario
Politicians from Toronto
Pre-Confederation Ontario people
Canadian Presbyterians
Provincial Secretaries of Ontario
Queen's Own Rifles of Canada officers
Queen's Own Rifles of Canada soldiers
Ontario Liberal Party MPPs
Canadian Militia officers
Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) officers