Richard McBride

Sir Richard McBride, was a British Columbia politician and is often considered the founder of the British Columbia Conservative Party. McBride was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1898 election and served in the cabinet of James Dunsmuir from 1900 to 1901 as Minister of Mines. McBride believed that the province's system of non-party government was unstable and hindered development. The lieutenant-governor appointed him the 16th premier in June 1903 and McBride announced that his government was a Conservative Party administration and would contest the upcoming election along party lines. On October 3, 1903, McBride's party, the British Columbia Conservative Party won the first provincial election to be fought along party lines with a two-seat majority.