Hewitt Bostock

Hewitt Bostock, (May 31, 1864 – April 28, 1930) was a Canadian publisher, businessman and politician. He was born in Walton Heath, Epsom, England and studied at Trinity College, Cambridge graduating with honours in mathematics. Bostock then studied law and was called to the bar in 1888. Rather than begin a legal practice he toured North America, Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan before settling in British Columbia in 1893 In 1888 the Monte Creek Ranch (also known as the Ducks Ranch) he had purchased in 1888, taking up residence there in 1894. In addition to the ranch, he also operated a lumber company. He founded the Province newspaper and then entered politics winning election to the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal in the 1896 election, representing the riding of Yale—Cariboo for one term (until the 1900 election). In 1904, he was appointed to the Senate of Canada by the prime minister, Wilfrid Laurier. A decade later he became Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian Senate. Bostock broke with the Laurier Liberals over the Conscription Crisis of 1917, and became a Liberal-Unionist, campaigning in favour of the Union government of Sir Robert Borden during the 1917 election.