The Earl of Minto and his Lady

4th Earl of Minto wikipedia

From 1898 to 1904, the Earl of Minto was governor general of Canada. In his first tour of duty, as Aide-de-camp to General Middleton, he helped suppress the Northwest Rebellion. Later, he declined the command of the North West Mounted Police (forerunner of the RCMP) and returned to England.                  

While Lord Minto was at the helm, Canadian experienced great economic growth. The new nation was bringing in a lot of new immigrants. Meanwhile, tension over fishing disputes with the US increased feelings of Canadian nationalism.

After reigning for sixty-four years, Queen Victoria died in 1901, and the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, who were about to become King George V and Queen Mary, toured western Canada, including the Klondike, with Lady Minto.

It was Lord Minto who created Canada's National Archives (now Library and Archives Canada.) They also established the Minto Skating Club, and Lord Minto, a lacrosse player, gave his name to the Canadian Lacrosse Association championship award, which became the Minto Cup.

Lord Minto also placed importance on public health, and established Canada's first anti- tuberculosis foundation.

Before coming to Canada, Lord Minto served in military roles all over the British Empire. He also took great interest in Canada's military, and encouraged training and development within it. He was appointed honorary Lieutenant-Colonel, and later Colonel of the Governor General's Regiment, the Foot Guards, in 1898. The tradition of appointing governors-general to this post continues until today. Lord Minto was Viceroy of India from 1905 to 1910. On his return to England, he was appointed Knight of the Garter.                    

Lady Caroline Minto was the sister of Earl Grey, who was the next governor general. An honorary president of the Victorian Order of Nurses, she campaigned and fund-raised for improving health care in rural areas, and established a building fund that paid for the construction of 43 cottage hospitals in remote parts of the country.

All were originally named for her, and for the communities where they were located. Lady Minto Gulf Islands Hospital on Salt Spring Island, established in 1913, is the only one of these that still bears her name.