James Conmee
Encyclopedia
James Conmee was an Ontario
businessman and political figure. He represented Algoma West from 1885 to 1902 and Port Arthur and Rainy River from 1902 to 1904 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
and Thunder Bay and Rainy River
in the Canadian House of Commons
from 1904 to 1911 as a Liberal
member.
, Canada West in 1848, the son of Irish
immigrants Matthew and Rosanna (O'Shaughnessey) Conmee. He trained with a New York
cavalry
regiment near the end of the American Civil War
. James was underage when he and his brother John sought adventure and joined the US cavalry. under General Custer
. He served as bugle boy and slept in a bag at Custer's feet. He was eventually put in charge of the Indian Scouts and led a group of representatives from 22 Nations. Throughout his life, he kept buckskins for adventures in the wild and was buried in his favourite buckskins. In 1872, at the age of 22 he moved to Fort William
to work at a sawmill
on the Kaministiquia River
. In 1874, he married Emily Florence Cox. From 1876 to 1877, he held the contract to deliver mail between Silver Islet
and Pigeon River
. He was a contractor involved in laying track for the Canadian Pacific Railway
in northern Ontario, later working on contracts for the Algoma Central Railway
, Port Arthur, Duluth & Western Railway and other railways in the region.
and they became best friends and confidants. Sir Wilfred introduced him on the floor of the House of Commons stating to the many lawyers elected that "here is a true lawyer". Laurier is said to have asked "Where did this Conmee come from, and how is it he can come here and teach the lawyers law?" Their friendship and collaboration continued until Conmee's death.
. He established the Port Arthur (Ontario) Telephone Company and was also involved in setting up other utility companies. He also served as first President of the Ontario Mining Institute.. Conmee ran unsuccessfully in 1896 for the Nipissing seat in the House of Commons before being elected in 1904.
in 1913 and was buried at Port Arthur..
Conmee wrote the lyrics to a patriotic song, The national flag, with music by Henry Herbert Godfrey.. This song represents one of the first "National Anthems" of Canada.
Mr. Conmee was an adventurer, entrepreneur, social advocate, and inventor. He introduced the first telephone system to the Head of the Lakes (or Lakehead), subsequently known as Fort William and Port Arthur and eventually Thunder Bay when the two cities amalgamated. He understood the potential of hydro electric power long before it became common. He worked long into the night almost every night in a locked laboratory on various gadgets and inventions including the calculating weighscale. He purchased Nun's Island near Montreal on sight recognizing the potential of the Lachine Rapids for hydro electricity. He also explicitly requested and was given title to all the waters that fed into the Falls and Rapids in order to protect the potential hydro development. This extremely valuable asset was sold for a song when he believed that the purchaser could promote and develop hydro power quicker than he could and he did not want to stand in the way.
St. Joseph's Hospital in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) was established on land donated in the backyard of his homestead. He also provided or arranged all funding for the construction of the hospital. In a show of respect, the only portion of the hospital funded by the Nuns who ran it at the time is the entrance and plaque which still bears his name as of 2007. The heritage homestead was destroyed in 1968 to increase parking space - ironically about the same time as the popular tune about destroying paradise to put up a parking lot.
Conmee was able to secure federal funding to support the development of the Port Arthur harbour which played an important role in the later development of the city's economy.
Conmee Township
west of Thunder Bay
was named after him.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
businessman and political figure. He represented Algoma West from 1885 to 1902 and Port Arthur and Rainy River from 1902 to 1904 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
and Thunder Bay and Rainy River
Thunder Bay and Rainy River
Thunder Bay and Rainy River was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1917. It was located in the northwestern part of the province of Ontario...
in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from 1904 to 1911 as a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
member.
Biography
He was born in Sydenham TownshipSydenham, Grey County, Ontario
For other uses called Sydenham, see Sydenham .Sydenham is a community in Ontario....
, Canada West in 1848, the son of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants Matthew and Rosanna (O'Shaughnessey) Conmee. He trained with a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiment near the end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. James was underage when he and his brother John sought adventure and joined the US cavalry. under General Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
. He served as bugle boy and slept in a bag at Custer's feet. He was eventually put in charge of the Indian Scouts and led a group of representatives from 22 Nations. Throughout his life, he kept buckskins for adventures in the wild and was buried in his favourite buckskins. In 1872, at the age of 22 he moved to Fort William
Fort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
to work at a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
on the Kaministiquia River
Kaministiquia River
The Kaministiquia River is a river which empties into western Lake Superior at the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Kaministiquia is an Ojibwe word meaning " with islands" due to two large islands at the mouth of the river...
. In 1874, he married Emily Florence Cox. From 1876 to 1877, he held the contract to deliver mail between Silver Islet
Silver Islet, Ontario
Silver Islet refers to both a small rocky island and a small town site located at the tip of the Sibley Peninsula in northwestern Ontario. It was the first silver mine in Ontario....
and Pigeon River
Pigeon River (Minnesota-Ontario)
The Pigeon River forms part of the US-Canada border between the State of Minnesota and the Province of Ontario west of Lake Superior. In pre-industrial times the river was a waterway of great importance for transportation and trade.-Geography:...
. He was a contractor involved in laying track for the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
in northern Ontario, later working on contracts for the Algoma Central Railway
Algoma Central Railway
The Algoma Central Railway is a railway in Northern Ontario that operates between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst, with a branch line to Michipicoten. The area served by the railway is sparsely populated, with few roads...
, Port Arthur, Duluth & Western Railway and other railways in the region.
Lawsuit
Conmee fought and eventually won a lawsuit launched against him and his partner John McLennan by the Canadian Pacific Railway for defrauding the company on their Michipicoten contract.. Both parties to the lawsuit hired the best lawyers available. With the proceeds from winning this case Conmee established a pro-bono law firm which charged nothing to handle cases of defense against invalid charges. The success and visibility of this case led to his meeting with Sir Wilfrid LaurierWilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
and they became best friends and confidants. Sir Wilfred introduced him on the floor of the House of Commons stating to the many lawyers elected that "here is a true lawyer". Laurier is said to have asked "Where did this Conmee come from, and how is it he can come here and teach the lawyers law?" Their friendship and collaboration continued until Conmee's death.
Political career
In 1878, he became a tax collector for the Municipality of Shuniah. In 1879, Conmee was elected to the municipal council for Port Arthur ward and, in 1884, he was elected mayor of Port Arthur, OntarioPort Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
. He established the Port Arthur (Ontario) Telephone Company and was also involved in setting up other utility companies. He also served as first President of the Ontario Mining Institute.. Conmee ran unsuccessfully in 1896 for the Nipissing seat in the House of Commons before being elected in 1904.
Legacy
In 1911, Conmee retired from politics due to poor health related to tuberculosis and kidney afflictions. He died in Prescott, ArizonaPrescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
in 1913 and was buried at Port Arthur..
Conmee wrote the lyrics to a patriotic song, The national flag, with music by Henry Herbert Godfrey.. This song represents one of the first "National Anthems" of Canada.
Mr. Conmee was an adventurer, entrepreneur, social advocate, and inventor. He introduced the first telephone system to the Head of the Lakes (or Lakehead), subsequently known as Fort William and Port Arthur and eventually Thunder Bay when the two cities amalgamated. He understood the potential of hydro electric power long before it became common. He worked long into the night almost every night in a locked laboratory on various gadgets and inventions including the calculating weighscale. He purchased Nun's Island near Montreal on sight recognizing the potential of the Lachine Rapids for hydro electricity. He also explicitly requested and was given title to all the waters that fed into the Falls and Rapids in order to protect the potential hydro development. This extremely valuable asset was sold for a song when he believed that the purchaser could promote and develop hydro power quicker than he could and he did not want to stand in the way.
St. Joseph's Hospital in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) was established on land donated in the backyard of his homestead. He also provided or arranged all funding for the construction of the hospital. In a show of respect, the only portion of the hospital funded by the Nuns who ran it at the time is the entrance and plaque which still bears his name as of 2007. The heritage homestead was destroyed in 1968 to increase parking space - ironically about the same time as the popular tune about destroying paradise to put up a parking lot.
Conmee was able to secure federal funding to support the development of the Port Arthur harbour which played an important role in the later development of the city's economy.
Conmee Township
Conmee, Ontario
Population trend:* Population in 2006: 740* Population in 2001: 748* Population in 1996: 729* Population in 1991: 651-References:...
west of Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
was named after him.