Rodmond Roblin

Who was Rodmond Roblin?

Sir Rodmond Palen Roblin, KCMG was a businessman and politician in Manitoba, Canada .

Roblin was born in the town of Sophiasburgh, in Prince Edward County, Canada West. The Roblin family were descended from Dutch American Loyalist farmers Philip and Elizabeth Roblin from Smith's Cove in Orange County, New York. He was educated at Albert College in Belleville, arrived in Winnipeg in 1877, and worked as a grain merchant. Roblin served as reeve of Dufferin for five years and as warden for two, and was also a school trustee in the community.

He entered provincial politics in the 1886 Manitoba election, running as a Liberal Party candidate against Conservative cabinet minister David H. Wilson in the constituency of Dufferin North. He lost this race by five votes, but won a subsequent by-election held on May 12, 1888.

The by-election took place shortly after Thomas Greenway was inaugurated as Manitoba's first Liberal premier. Roblin was a supporter of Greenway in this period, and was re-elected by acclamation when the new premier called another provincial election for July 1888.