William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada (1921-1925, 1926-1930, and 1935-1948), was born in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario, on December 17, 1874, the son of John King and the grandson of William Lyon Mackenzie. He was educated at the University of Toronto (B.A., 1895; M.A., 1897) and did post-graduate work in sociology at Harvard University (M.A. 1898; Ph.D. 1909). In 1900 he was invited by Sir William Mulock to become Canada's first Deputy Minister of Labour; and in 1909 he was persuaded by Sir Wilfrid Laurier to enter politics, was elected to represent Waterloo in the Canadian House of Commons, and became Canada's first Minister of Labour not holding a separate portfolio. In 1919 he was chosen to succeed Laurier as leader of the Liberal party; and in 1921 he was elected to represent North York in the House of Commons, and became Prime Minister of Canada and Minister for External Affairs. When King retired in 1948, he had held office longer than any previous prime minister in the British Commonwealth. He died, unmarried, near Ottawa, Ontario, on July 22, 1950. (taken from "The Macmillan Dictionary of Canadian Biography" fourth edition. 1978.)
M. Margaret (Marnie) McCulloch was born in Peterborough, Ontario, in 1912. Known to her family and friends as “Marnie,” she was the daughter of Dr. Joseph Malcom McCulloch and Etta McCulloch (nee Eager). McCulloch attended Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational Institute and graduated in 1934 in "Moderns" from Trinity College, University of Toronto. She avidly supported the arts in Peterborough and funded a number of scholarships and awards for local secondary and post-secondary students attending educational institutions in the City. McCulloch was involved in the cultural life of Peterborough, becoming a member and supporter of several clubs, organizations and venues: Peterborough Golf Club, University Women’s Club, Women’s Art Association, Showplace Peterborough and the Shakespeare Club. She was also a founding member of the Peterborough Theatre Guild and of a Peterborough Civic Affairs Study Group comprised of local women who took turns attending City council meetings; the Group is credited with smoothing a path for the election of the first three women to municipal government in Peterborough. McCulloch enjoyed traveling and her many hundreds of slides attest to the places visited. McCulloch married John G. Edison Q.C. in 1994; she died in Peterborough in 2003 at the age of 91. Her obituary, published in the Peterborough Examiner, 25 March 2003, describes McCulloch (Edison) as a “life long active participant, supporter and many times catalyst of art, culture, religious and educational pursuits in Peterborough.”
Mary Margaret McCulloch and her parents were long-time contributors to Trent University. In 2001, they were honoured in a room-naming event held at the University’s Otonabee College. The plaque, hanging in Room 204, includes additional information about McCulloch and reads as follows:
“This room is named in honour of Mrs. Margaret (McCulloch) Edison and her parents Dr. J. Malcolm and Mary Etta (Eager) McCulloch. Margaret Edison served as Private Secretary to the Director of Naval Intelligence, Division 3 in Ottawa. “Marnie” returned to Peterborough after the war and was the Deputy Local Registrar at the Peterborough Court House. The community and her church were enriched by her commitment to volunteer work. Dr. McCulloch was a public school principal and then became a medical doctor. He practiced for 59 years in Peterborough and was a founding member of the Peterborough Clinic. Mrs. McCulloch was a teacher. She and her husband were both actively involved in their church and the community.”
Brian Marsh McFadzen was born in Sudbury Ontario in 1945. He was educated at Queen's University having a B.A. in Political Studies and Economics and a M.A. in Political Studies. Now retired, he taught at Fleming College in Lindsay, Ontario from 1969 to 2000.
Martha Ann Kidd (nee Maurer) was born October 15, 1917 and resided in Peterborough, Ontario. She married Kenneth E. Kidd in October 1943. A well known and respected local historian, she was also known for her talents as an author and artist and was an authority on architecture, particularly the architecture of the Peterborough region. Martha Ann Kidd was chair of the Old Buildings Committee of the Peterborough Historical Society and a member of the Peterborough Historical Society, Peterborough's Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee, and Trent University's Friends of the Bata Library. She died on July 30, 2012.
Catharine Parr Traill was born in Rotherhithe near London, England 9 January 1802 as Catharine Parr Strickland. She was the fifth child of Thomas and Elizabeth Strickland. She was sister to Eliza, Jane Margaret, Susanna (later Susanna Moodie), Samuel and Agnes. In 1832 she married Lt. Thomas Traill. She emigrated with her husband to Upper Canada when the opportunity provided itself and they settled near the Otonabee River near Peterborough, Upper Canada. Together they had nine children. Catharine wrote a number of works on pioneer life in Upper Canada such as The Backwoods of Canada (1834), Canadian Crusoes (1853), The Female Emigrants Guide (1854), Canadian Wild Flowers (1868) and Studies of Plant Life in Canada (1885). She also kept a journal and in it she wrote down ideas and sketches for future writings. The Old Doctor (1985) was probably written between 1835 and 1840 when John Hutchinson, a native of Kirkcaldy, Scotland, was practising medicine in Peterborough, Upper Canada. Before emigrating Catharine had published a number of children's books and stories in England. Catharine Parr Traill died 29 August 1899. (Taken from: Forest and Other Gleanings. Ottawa, University of Ottawa Press, 1994.)
Margaret Doxey was a professor in the Department of Political Studies at Trent University from 1967-1991. She has studied problems of collective sanctions and international enforcement, and has published widely on the subject of international political studies.
The Association of the Teaching Staff was created in 1967 and existed until the union was formed in 1981. The purpose of the Association was to promote scholarship, the welfare of the University and of its academic staff, and in affiliation with the Canadian Association of University Teachers and with the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, to contribute to the advancement of the standards of the Canadian University community. (taken from the Constitution, RG 15 Box 1 Folder 1). In 1981, certification was granted, and in 1983 the ATS became the Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA).
The Trent University Broadcast Board Committee was created in 1968. It was designed as a joint Senate-Congress Committee comprised of three students and three faculty members. The Board was responsible for the Trent University Radio Service. During the 1968-69 academic year, the radio service was run by thirty-five students and faculty and produced a series of programs which were broadcast on Sunday evenings through the facilities of CHEX-FM. The series was an experiment to determine if radio service from Trent would be adventageous for both the University and the Peterborough Community. The results of the experiment were a success and the Radio Service was expanded the following academic year to AM radio through CKPT-AM. The main function of the Broadcast Board was to approve annual budgets and gain approval for the budgets from the appropriate University bodies. The Board was also responsible for choosing the Radio Service Manager and selecting its own Chairman. The Broadcast Board was designed in a similar fashion to the Publication Board which monitored the University newspaper, "The Arthur".
The Aboriginal Strategy Circle in the Kawarthas (ASCK) evolved from the Urban Aboriginal Strategy Circle (UASC) which was formed in the spring of 2005. UASC was brought together by the local Aboriginal organization, Whitepath Consulting and Counselling Services, and was comprised of such members as Trent University Native Studies Department, the Ontario Metis Aboriginal Association, Peterborough Social Planning Council, and other organizations. ASCK was focused on identifying the needs of Aboriginal Peoples in the Peterborough and Kawarthas area. The goals of ASCK are listed as follows:
- To provide opportunities for Aboriginal people to share their thoughts, ideas, experience and opinions that could affect positive change in the future
- To strengthen and support the capacity of current and developing Aboriginal organizations through partnerships and training
- To facilitate communication and provide information-sharing among Aboriginal organizations and to advise City and County service providers on how best to support Aboriginal people
- To research, prepare and provide educational information on topics related to the issues identified through consultation with Aboriginal people
- To develop a fund and criteria for long-term projects and/or needs of Aboriginal people.
Alternatives was an environmental policy magazine published at Trent between 1971 and 1983. In 1983 the University of Waterloo took over the publication. At Trent University it was published quarterly by the students and faculty. The purpose of the magazine was to confront the implications the environmental crisis had for economic structures, living habits and political processes etc. At the same time, the magazine wanted to pose and confirm the questions by offering imaginative and serious solutions.
The Energy Savers Peterborough (ESP) was established in May, 1982. It was founded to promote energy conservation in the City and County of Peterborough. ESP was a project that was considered one of-a-kind and was studied by the Ontario Ministry of Energy and Conservation as a way to make communities more energy efficient. It was started in the 1980's due to the wealth of information on energy conservation which was confusing people due to all the different sources and resources. The idea behind ESP was to sort the information out and give it to people at a local level and thereby increase community awareness of energy conservation. In their first year of operation ESP established a storefront in Peterborough Square, on the Corner of Water and Charlotte Streets, where they were able to give free non-partisan advice. They also offered successful workshops for arena and curling rink operators, energy saving seminars to churches, clinics for local media members and fleet operators on how to drive to save gas, a tire-check program and tours of solar-heated homes in the area. ESP helped the local Public Utilities Commission's (PUC) Residential Energy Advisory Program (REAP) establish conservation consciousness in the community. The ESP committee was chaired by Professor Peter Adams of Trent University.
Camp Tanamakoon was established by Mary G. Hamilton, principal of Margaret Eaton School in Toronto, in 1925 and is located on Tanamakoon Lake in Algonquin Park. A summer camp for girls, Camp Tanamakoon offers an environmental education; activities include tripping, mountain biking, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, wood crafting, and various other activities. Owners of the Camp since its inception include: founder Mary G. Hamilton, 1925-1953; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Raymer, 1953-1974; Hugh and Carolea Butters, 1974-1984; and Kim and Marilyn Smith, 1984 to the present.
Camp X Historical Society is located in Whitby, Ontario, near the former site of Camp X. Camp X, which operated from 1941 to 1946, was a training camp responsible for training recruits for the Special Operations Executive of the British Security Coordination during World War II. It was comprised of two sections, the Special Training School No. 103, which trained allied agents in the techniques of secret warfare, and Hydra, a network which communicated messages between Canada, United States, and Great Britain. Camp X Historical Society was established to track down surviving SOE agents, and to document and catalogue their experiences. The Society is in the process of establishing a small museum on the original site of the Camp to house artifacts and memorabilia which document the operation.
Census taking in Canada was divided into enumeration districts which were usually located around cities and counties. The districts were divided in sub-districts which were usually located around towns, townships and city wards. Villages, small towns, parishes and seigneuries were generally enumerated as part of the township in which they were located. Census and county boundaries did not always coincide since boundaries and town names changed or disappeared. The first census in Canada was undertaken in 1666 by Intendant Jean Talon. Census taking was not required until it was put into the Constitution in 1867. Before 1867 census taking was sketchy and it was not until 1851 that it became established as a way of assessing population and colonial needs for the government. (Taken from: "Census Returns, 1666-1891." Public Archives, Canada, 1987.)
In 1792, the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham were officially created in a proclamation made by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe. The proclamation divided Upper Canada into 19 Counties for representation purposes. The United Counties are bounded by Lake Ontario in the south, Hasting County in the east, Ontario County in the west and Peterborough and Victoria Counties in the north. The town line between Hope and Hamilton Townships divide the two counties. Durham County consists of the Townships of Cartwright, Manvers, Cavan, Darlington, Clarke and Hope. Northumberland County consists of South Monaghan, Hamilton, Haldimand, Alnwick, Percy, Cramahe, Seymour, Brighton and Murray Townships. (Taken from: "Illustrated Historical Atlas of Northumberland and Durham Counties, Ontario." Belleville: Mika Silk Screening Limited, 1972.) The land which is now Peterborough County was originally part of Newcastle District before 1841, and the Colbourne District until 1850, the year when districts were replaced by counties in Upper Canada. At this time the United Counties of Peterborough and Victoria was created. In 1861, Victoria County was given independence from Peterborough. Peterbourgh County is made up of the following townships: Galway, Cavendish, Anstruther, Chandos, Harvey, Burleigh, Methuen, Ennismore, Smith, Douro, Dummer, Belmont, North Monaghan, Otonabee, and Asphodel. (taken from "Illustrated Historical Atlas of Peterborough County 1825-1875." Peterborough: The Peterborough Historical Atlas Foundation Inc., 1975.) Victoria County, formally established in 1860, is comprised of the Townships of Bexley, Carden, Dalton, Eldon, Emily, Fenelon, Laxton, Digby, Longford, Manvers, Mariposa, Ops, Somerville, and Verulam. The town of Lindsay in Ops Township is the county seat. The County is bordered in the north by the Muskoka District, in the east by Haliburton and Peterborough Counties, in the south by Lake Scugog and the Regional Municipality of Durham, and in the west by Durham and Simcoe Counties. It is 2,169 km square in area. The land in Victoria County was first opened for settlement in 1821 and the first settlers were mainly Irish, both Protestant and Catholic, and Scottish Presbyterians. By 1880, lumbering was firmly established as the main industry in the county. Quickly the region was stripped of its forests, and it was not until the 1920's that an interest in reforestation developed. Today, Victoria County is a prime grain producing region. As well, chemical industries and tourism make up the present day economic picture of the county. (Taken from: Mika, Nick and Helma. "Places in Ontario, Part III." Belleville: Mika Publishing Company, 1983.) Hastings County was proclaimed the 11th county of Upper Canada in 1792. The second largest county in Ontario, it includes nineteen municipal townships: Bangor, Wicklow and McClure, Carlow, Dungannon, Elzevir and Grimsthorpe, Faraday, Hershal, Hungerford, Huntingdon, Limerick, Madoc, Marmora and Lake, Mayo; Monteagle, Rawdon, Sidney, Thurlow, Tudor and Cashel, Tyendinaga, and Wollaston. Hastings was named after a military leader who had fought in the American Revolution, Francis Rawdon-Hastings (1754-1826). His family name was taken from the town of Hastings in Sussex, England. Until 1849 Hastings County was called the Victoria District. This was changed at that time by the Baldwin Act which replaced district councils with county councils. The first major industry in Hastings County was agriculture, and this was well-established by 1860, with Belleville having the largest saw mills west of Ottawa. Around this time, mining became an important attraction for new settlers, with the extraction of gold at Eldorado, Deloro, Gilmour, and Cordova. Once the Grand Trunk Railway began making stops in Belleville in 1856, the economy of the county improved immensely. Today tourism, lumbering and mining are the major industries of the county. (Taken from: Mika, Nick and Helma. "Places on Ontario, Part II." Belleville: Mika Publishing Company, 1981.)
The Belmont Municipal Telephone System began operation in 1922 in Havelock, Belmont Township, Ontario. This new system preceeded the Bell Telephone Company and the Havelock-Cordova Telephone Company in Belmont Township. It served subscribers for 33 years. In 1953, the Bell Telephone Company entered into negotiations with the Belmont Municipal System to re-acquire the system.
Benson Mills was a large grist mill which was owned and operated by John Robinson Benson, husband of Catherine Evans Lee. He purchased the mill from Adam Scott. J.R. Benson was one of ten children in a family that settled in Peterborough.