Article

Philip Gaglardi

Published Online February 13, 2008

Last Edited March 7, 2014

Philip Arthur Gaglardi, politician (b at Mission City, BC 13 Jan 1913; d at Vancouver 21 Sept 1995). A prominent politician in British Columbia, Gaglardi was first elected to the provincial legislature for Kamloops in the election of June 1952.

Gaglardi, Philip Arthur

Philip Arthur Gaglardi, politician (b at Mission City, BC 13 Jan 1913; d at Vancouver 21 Sept 1995). A prominent politician in British Columbia, Gaglardi was first elected to the provincial legislature for Kamloops in the election of June 1952. He was appointed minister of public works from 1952-55 and served as minister of highways from 1955 until he resigned from Cabinet in March of 1968. He served as minister of rehabilitation and social improvement from 1969 until he was defeated in the 1972 election. He served as mayor of Kamloops from 1988-90.

Gaglardi's term as minister of highways was a time of expansion. He was responsible for the establishment of the BC Ferry Service and the construction of the numerous highways which opened up the province. Under his jurisdiction BC built one of the first sawdust highways in the world. Other achievements include the Deas Island Tunnel, Rogers Pass on the TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY, the suspension bridge at Hudson Hope, the first orthotropic deck used in bridge construction, and the first jet-engine-powered snowplow in the world. Gaglardi also initiated the "Beautiful British Columbia" publicity campaign and established the communication system for the Department of Highways.