The British Colonist – British Columbia, Amor de Cosmos, 1858

Born William Alexander Smith (1825–1897) in Windsor, Nova Scotia, to Loyalist parents, Smith was educated in Nova Scotia and began his career as a clerk for a grocery firm in Halifax. Like many young men of his time, he was captivated by the tales of the California gold rush, and so traveled south to New York and onward to California. It was there that he legally changed his name to Amor de Cosmos, a name that loosely translates to “Lover of the Universe.”

In 1858, Amor de Cosmos journeyed north to Victoria, then the capital of the Colony of Vancouver Island. In December of that year, he founded a newspaper, The British Colonist, which continues publication today as the Times Colonist. Transitioning into political life, he earned a lasting reputation as British Columbia’s Father of Confederation.

The Colony of Vancouver Island merged with the mainland colony in 1866, forming the province of British Columbia, which would later join Canadian Confederation in 1871. In 1872, Amor de Cosmos was appointed as the second Premier of British Columbia.

Even in those days, de Cosmos was regarded as an eccentric figure. A loner by nature, he never married and maintained only a handful of close friendships. Known for his fiery temper, he was often involved in fistfights. As he aged, his behavior grew increasingly incoherent. By 1895, he was declared insane, and he passed away in 1897 in Victoria at the age of 71.