Hunter, Joseph

He was educated in Scotland where he became an engineer.

He arrived in Victoria in 1864 via San Francisco and Panama.

He spent seven years in the Cariboo surveying, mining and owning a share in a saloon in Barkerville under the name Vallancour,Hunter and Lavery.

He was the son-in-law of John Robson.

He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 1871.

He was appointed as a District Surveyor by the CPR in 11/1872.

In 1873 he surveyed Bute Inlet for a proposed railway. In 03/1875 he was appointed as Engineer-in-charge of the E&N Railway. In late 1875 he was appointed as Acting Deputy Engineer-in-Chief for the CPR in BC.

In 1876 he surveyed the Fraser Canyon between Boston Bar and Kanaka Bar as well as some parts of the Nechako Region.

In 1877 he surveyed the Stikine River and later discovered the Pine Pass.

He lived with his wife and two sons in New Westminster in 1878-9.

He joined the South Fork Mining Co. 1881-2.

He was appointed as the Chief Engineer of the surveying for the right-of-way of the E. & N. Railway in 1883 and later he was the General Superintendent.

He was elected again as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for British columbia representing Comox in 1890-98 and he was appointed as the Deputy Speaker. While he was MLA for Comox he served as an Alderman in Victoria.

In 1897 he joined the Golden River Mining Co. to work on a dam project.

In 1900-3 he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Cariboo.

He rejoined the E&N Railway in 1901 as General Superintendent and Vice-President resigning in 1905.

He continued his association with the Dunsmuirs as Chief Engineer with Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Ltd. eventually resigning in 07/1918.

He retired to Victoria BC.

He was buried in Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria BC.