James Reid (August 2, 1839 – May 3, 1904) was a Canadian entrepreneur and parliamentarian from British Columbia.

He moved to British Columbia in 1862,[2] with a cousin, nearly perishing on the trip to the northern Cariboo region.

[citation needed] Reid eventually prospered as a miner and established his own business empire in Quesnellemouth (now Quesnel).

[2] Reid's business included saw and flour mills, mining operations, riverboat construction and the main general store in Quesnel.

Reid was elected to Member of Parliament for Cariboo as a Liberal-Conservative in an 1881 by-election on the death of incumbent MP Joshua Spencer Thompson.