Robie Lewis Reid facts for kids

Robie Lewis Reid (born in 1866, died in 1945) was an important historian and a judge in British Columbia, Canada. He was often called Robie Reid. He wrote many books and articles about the history of British Columbia. He was especially interested in the works of a writer named Rudyard Kipling. Robie Reid also studied old coins from early British Columbia. He is still considered one of the top experts on these coins.

Life and Work

Robie Reid was born on November 3, 1866, in a place called Steam Mill Village in Nova Scotia. In 1885, when he was 19, he moved to Victoria, British Columbia. He went there to take a test to become a teacher.

While in British Columbia, he met Frederic W. Howay. They became very good friends and worked together for sixty years! Robie Reid convinced Howay to go back to Nova Scotia with him. They both studied law at Dalhousie University and finished their degrees in 1890.

In 1893, Robie Reid and Frederic Howay started their own law firm called Howay & Reid. After a big fire in New Westminster in 1898, Robie Reid was chosen to be a "debenture commissioner." This meant he helped manage money for the city to rebuild.

In 1907, Robie Reid joined a new law firm with William John Bowser and D.S. Wallbridge. William Bowser later became the Premier (like a governor) of British Columbia.

Robie Reid was also very involved in the legal community. From 1927 to 1943, he was a "Bencher" for the Law Society of British Columbia. This is like being on the board of directors for lawyers in the province.

He also helped with education and history. He was on the board of governors for the University of British Columbia from 1913 to 1935. In 1937, he became the President of the British Columbia Historical Association. He also helped start the British Columbia Historical Quarterly, which is a magazine about BC history.

In 1936, he was made a "Fellow" of the Royal Society of Canada. This is a special honor for important Canadian scholars. He was also a member of the American Historical Association.

Besides law and history, Robie Reid loved books and art. He was the first president of the Vancouver Little Theatre Association, which is a group for local plays. He also served as a member and chairman of the board for the Vancouver Public Library.

Robie Reid passed away on February 6, 1945, because of his health.

His Legacy

• Mount Robie Reid, a mountain north of Maple Ridge and Mission, British Columbia, was named after him. It's near the Golden Ears mountains. His friend F.W. Howay also has a mountain named after him nearby, called Mount Judge Howay.
• The Howay-Reid Collection at the University of British Columbia library was started because Robie Reid donated his huge personal collection of books. He gave them 9,000 books, over 4,000 smaller booklets, and many other items like maps, photos, and letters. He even had 50,000 index cards listing books he wanted to find! When he created it, this was the biggest collection of "Canadiana" (things related to Canada) anywhere in the country.