William John Bowser

Template:Short description Template:Use Canadian English Template:Infobox officeholder William John Bowser (December 3, 1867<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> – October 25, 1933) was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He served as the 17th premier of British Columbia from 1915 to 1916.<ref name="roy">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

The son of William Bowser and Margaret Gordon, Bowser was educated at Mount Allison University and Dalhousie University.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He moved to Vancouver to practice law in 1891, and after being an unsuccessful candidate in the 1898 provincial election, was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1903 election as a Conservative. Bowser served as Attorney General in the cabinet of Sir Richard McBride from 1907 until 1915.<ref name="roy"/> As Attorney General, Bowser forced the Squamish First Nation, then the False Creek Indian Band, off Kitsilano Indian Reserve no.6.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He also served as Minister of Finance and Agriculture between October 1909 and October 1910, and then again between March and December 1915.

In 1915, he succeeded McBride as Premier.<ref name="roy"/> He also served as Attorney-General in his own administration.

The Conservative party was deeply divided and unpopular<ref name="roy"/> and the change in leadership did not improve matters. Accusations of corruption and "machine politics" were rife. The Conservatives also neglected to address popular demands for women's suffrage and prohibition. Bowser's government was defeated in the 1916 election, losing to Liberal leader Harlan Carey Brewster, who two years later was succeeded by the more memorable John Oliver.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Bowser continued as leader of the opposition until he lost his seat in the 1924 election.<ref name="roy"/>

He returned to politics in the 1933 election to lead the Non-Partisan Independent Group of candidates, but suffered a heart attack and died during the election campaign.<ref name="roy"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A river, a lake<ref>Template:Cite bcgnis</ref> and the small community of Bowser on Vancouver Island,<ref>Template:Cite bcgnis</ref> between Parksville and the Comox Valley, are named for Bowser. Template:1896 Canadian federal election/Burrard