John Oliver (Hartington, England July 31, 1856 – August 17, 1927) was a politician and farmer in British Columbia, Canada.
Oliver was involved in local politics when he won a seat in the provincial legislature in the 1900 election, and became leader of the opposition. He lost his seat in the 1909 election. He returned to the legislature in the 1916 election as a Liberal member, and became Minister of Agriculture and Railways in the cabinet of Harlan Carey Brewster. Oliver succeeded Brewster as Premier when Brewster died in 1918. Oliver's government developed the produce industry in the Okanagan Valley, and tried to persuade the federal government to lower the freight rate for rail transport. Oliver remained premier until his death in 1927.
John Oliver Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia, Mount John Oliver in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains, and the town of Oliver, British Columbia are all named after him.
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Last updated on Sunday March 23, 2008 at 17:08:33 PDT (GMT -0700)
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