John Owen Wilson - Prince George, BC, Canada
N 53° 54.966 W 122° 44.534
10U E 516930 N 5974217
This citizen memorial to John Owen Wilson is located in the town square named in his honor.
Waymark Code: WMHQAM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/04/2013
Views: 1
The memorial consists of a large composite rock pillar with a plaque on each side. The rock pillar is located in from of the Prince George Court House. One plaque simply reads "J.O. Wilson Square." The other plaque reads:
John Owen Wilson
November 7, 1898 - November 8, 1985
In honour of his distinguished service to the people of British Columbia, this square is dedicated to John Owen Wilson who presided as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia from 1963 to 1973.
A Prince George resident, he practiced law in this community for seventeen years before accepting his first judicial appointment.
Chief Justice Wilson began his judicial duties in 1939 as a judge of the County Court of Cariboo and was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court in 1944. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1962 and returned to the Supreme Court as Chief Justice in 1963.
His intellect, integrity, wisdom and humanity continue to guide our values of equality and fairness for those who seek justice within our courts.
The following additional information about John Owen Wilson is from the University of Northern British Columbia website:
"John Owen Wilson, Q.C. was born in Nelson 7 November 1898. He moved to Prince George with his family in 1914. He worked as an office boy at his father (P.E. Wilson)'s law firm until 1915, when he enlisted. He served at the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and the Battle of Passchendaele. After working on riverboats and as a surveyor, Wilson attended the University of British Columbia. He was called to the BC Bar and returned to Prince George to practise with his father in 1922. He married Ruth Pine in December of that same year. Wilson served as Secretary of the Board of Trade of Prince George and of the Agricultural Association in the following years. He also became involved with the Liberal Party of BC, serving as campaign manager for first Harry Perry and then Gray Turgeon. Wilson was appointed to the County Court of Cariboo 13 January 1939, and subsequently moved with his wife and three children to Ashcroft. As Cariboo County Judge, Wilson held court in Quesnel, Wells, Barkerville, Williams Lake, and Lillooet. He was appointed to the BC Supreme Court in 1944,and to the BC Court of Appeal in 1962. In 1963 he became Chief Justice of the BC Supreme Court. He retired from the Bench and returned to the practice of law ten years later. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1974. He passed away in 1985, and was honoured posthumously with the Law Society Award 19 November 1992. Material donated to the Archives by R.H. Guile who was J.O. Wilson's nephew ; he worked at Russell & DuMoulin with Wilson for ten years."