Robert Randolph Bruce (July 16, 1861 – February 21, 1942) was an engineer, mining proprietor and the 13th

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia The lieutenant governor of British Columbia () is the viceregal representative of the , in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The office of lieutenant governor is an office of the Crown and serves as a representative of the monarchy in ...

from 1926 to 1931. Bruce was born in Scotland and educated at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

where he studied engineering. He emigrated to the United States in 1887 before arriving in Canada to work 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 1897 he settled in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

to become a prospector. Bruce and his partner established a lead and silver mine near Windermere Lake in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. He purchased land from the railway and promoted it in England for settlement. Bruce became the province's lieutenant-governor in 1926. Unusually for former viceroys, he attempted to enter politics following his tenure as the Queen's representative and stood for the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' ...

in the 1935 federal election but was narrowly defeated by

Henry Herbert Stevens Henry Herbert Stevens, (December 8, 1878 – June 14, 1973) was a Canadian politician and businessman. A member of R. B. Bennett's cabinet, he split with the Conservative Prime Minister to found the Reconstruction Party of Canada. Early ...

in the riding of

Kootenay East Kootenay East (also known as Kootenay East—Revelstoke) was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1917 to 1968 and from 1979 to 1997. This riding was created as ...

.History of Federal Ridings since 1867
at www.parl.gc.ca The government of

William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Li ...

appointed Bruce as Canada's second envoy to

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

with the title of

Minister Plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under th ...

in 1936. He served for two years before retiring to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Notes

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Complete List of Posts

Sources

1861 births 1942 deaths Lieutenant Governors of British Columbia British Columbia candidates for Member of Parliament Candidates in the 1935 Canadian federal election Ambassadors of Canada to Japan Liberal Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons {{Canada-viceroy-stub