Thomas Alexander Stewart Hay was born in Peterborough on August 14, 1849, the son of Thomas Hay of Seggieden, Scotland, and Anna Maria Stewart. Anna Maria was the daughter of Thomas A. and Frances Stewart, pioneer settlers in Douro Township. Hay married Elise Roux, of Montreal, June 27, 1881. Hay was a civil engineer by profession. He learned a great deal from his uncle, George Stewart, who was also an engineer. Hay was a charter member of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers. He was a Mason and he accomplished much in his career, working for the Midland Railway, the Trent Canal (where he assisted in the design of the Peterborough lift lock) and the City of Peterborough, as a City Engineer. In this capacity, he designed the Smith Street (now Parkhill Road) bridge at Inverlea, and aided in parkland development in the city. Hay was the first President of the Peterborough Historical Society, the active curator of its museum, and the author of "A Short History of Peterborough," an appendix in E.S. Dunlop's edited version of Frances Stewarts' letter "Our Forest Home." Hay died on March 28, 1917, leaving his wife and two daughters Frances Isabel and Helen.
Arthur Thibert was an oblate who served from 1927-1936 in the Saint Joseph and the Mother of the Saviour Roman Catholic mission in the Southampton Island and Baker Lake area of northern Canada. A work by Thibert, Eskimo-English, English-Eskimo dictionary = Inuktitut-English, English-Inuktitut Dictionary, has been published.
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada became a unit of the Active Militia of Canada by a General Order issued on April 26, 1860. They are allied with the Buffs, an East Kent Regiment in England. Active service for the Queen's Own Rifles commenced on Christmas Eve in 1864. Two companies were ordered to the Frontier (now the Canadian/United States border) in consequence of St. Alban's raid. In 1866 the Regiment received its baptism of fire at the Battle of Ridgeway. It also fought in the Red River Rebellion in 1870 and the Second Northwest Rebellion in 1885.On October 25, 1899 the Toronto quota of the first Canadian Contingent to the Boer War was despatched to the Front. In that group of men were a number of the Queen's Own Rifles. During World War I, 205 officers and 8 104 other ranks were sent from the Queen's Own Rifles before the enforcement of the Military Service Act. On February 3, 1923 the Queen's Own Association was established out of the Queen's Own Rifles Ex-Members Association which had been formed October 10, 1916 to assist, in the form of food and clothing, the men who were prisoners of war in Germany. It was also formed to consolidate and foster a strong sentiment of fraternity and good-will among the ex-members of the Regiment. At the 1923 meeting of the Association it was decided to allow members of the entire regiment to participate and not just ex-members. The objective of the new association was to bring together all men who had been, at one time or another, connected with the Regiment.
The Peterborough Review was established in 1853 by Robert Romaine and his brothers-in-law, Thomas and Richard White. They owned the Review from 1856 to 1864. They bought the Despatch's files and equipment in 1856. The Review was sold to E.J. Toker and John Carnegie in 1878. The Review stopped publishing in 1921.
The Peterborough Examiner was established 1856 by Augustus Sawers as Peterborough's reform paper, taking over from the Despatch. Robert Graham and James Renfrew bought the paper in 1859 and in 1864 James Stratton bought it. From 1877 to 1914 James Stratton's son ran the paper. The Peterborough Examiner is still running in 2022.
The Peterborough Ecology Strategy is a community-initiated project to identify and describe green space and natural areas in and around the City of Peterborough, Ontario, with the aim of developing strategies and policies for their protection (taken from the Report). The idea for doing an inventory of the City's green space was initiated by Professor John Marsh, Trent University. Over time the Peterborough Field Naturalists became involved, and later the Planning Division and the Parks and Forestry Division of the City of Peterborough. The draft interim report was submitted by project coordinator Jean Greig to the Ecology Strategy Steering Committee in 1991.
The Peterborough Despatch (1845-1856) was published by George Haslehurst and had its offices at Hunter and Chambers Streets.
The Canadian Canoe Museum is a unique national heritage centre that explores the canoe’s enduring significance to the peoples of Canada, through an exceptional collection of canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft. We’re an engaging, family-friendly museum with more than 100 canoes and kayaks on display. Visitors will enjoy interactive, hands-on galleries, a scavenger hunt, model canoe building and puppet theatre for children. Through inclusive, memorable and engaging exhibits and programs we share the art, culture, heritage and spirit of paddled watercraft with our communities.
Founded on a collection of the late Professor Kirk Wipper, and established in Peterborough, Ontario, in 1997, the museum’s holdings now number more than 600 canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft. Together they span the country from coast to coast to coast and represent many of the major watercraft traditions of Canada.
The museum’s artifacts range from the great dugouts of the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest to the singular bark canoes of the Beothuk of Newfoundland; from the skin-on-frame kayaks of northern peoples from Baffin Island in the east to the Mackenzie River Delta in the northwest to the all-wood and canvas-covered craft manufactured by companies with names like Herald, Peterborough, Chestnut, Lakefield and Canadian. Over the years paddled watercraft from as far away as Paraguay and the Amazon have helped the Museum expand its reach and scope to include International examples.
The Community of Temagami (formerly Timagami) in the geographic township of Strathy is located at the tip of the Northeast Arm of Lake Temagami about 60 miles north of North Bay. Prior to the arrival of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway (now Ontario Northland) the area was primarily an Indian settlement. Its inhabitants were trading at one of the Hudson's Bay Company's outposts, first situated on the south shore of Temagami Island, and moved in the 1870s to Bear Island. By the mid 1900s Temagami had become the centre of a popular tourist region with daily boat and seaplane service in the summer months to remote resorts on the lake. About that time copper was discovered on some of the lake's islands and by the late 1960s a large iron mining complex was taking shape a few miles to the north of Temagami. Today, Temagami is best known as a site of protest against the forestry industry. (Taken partially from: Mika, Nick and Helma. Places in Ontario. Belleville: Mika Publishing Company,1983.)
Robert D. Taylor-Vaisey was born in 1948. He attended Trent University, earning his B.A. in 1970 and his M.A. from the Department of History in 1973. While at Trent Taylor-Vaisey was active on various committees including the Champlain College Cabinet, the Trent University Co-ordinating Committee, and the Trent University Congress of Colleges. In 1976, as part of the Toronto Area Archivists Group, he published Ontario's Heritage: A Guide to Archival Resources.
William Ewart Taylor Jr. was born 21 November 1927 in Toronto to William E. Taylor and Margaret T. Patrick. He received his B.A. at the University of Toronto in 1951; his M.A. at the University of Illinois in 1952 and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1965. He married Joan Doris Elliott, of Scarborough, Ontario, 12 September 1952. Together they had three children.
William was the Director of the National Museum of Man (now the Canadian Museum of Civilization); Director for the Canadian Centre for Anthropological Research and Past Chairman of the Board of Governors for the Canadian War Museum. He made several discoveries in Inuit anthropology and archaeology between 1950 and 1960. He published The Arnapik and other Sites in 1968. He wrote innumerable professional papers on the Arctic and the Inuit people. He died in 1994.
Bessie Marie Taylor (nee Carr) was born in Cramahe Township in 1905. After her marriage to a farmer, Bessie lived in Brighton Township. She moved to the town of Brighton in 1950 and lived there until her death in 1979.
Don Tapscott (b. 1947) is one of the world’s leading authorities on innovation, media, and the economic and social impact of technology; in this capacity, he advises business and government leaders around the world. In 2013 and 2015, Thinkers50 ranked him fourth among the world’s most influential management thinkers. In 2013, he was also awarded the Global Solutions Award for launching and leading the Global Solution Networks program based at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Tapscott has authored or co-authored 15 widely read books including the 1992 bestseller Paradigm Shift. His 1995 The Digital Economy changed thinking around the world about the transformational nature of the Internet. Two years later he defined the Net Generation and the “digital divide” in another publication, Growing Up Digital. His 2000 work, Digital Capital, introduced seminal ideas such as “the business web”. Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything was the bestselling management book in 2007 and has been translated into over 25 languages. In his forward to Tapscott’s newest book, The Digital Economy: 20th Anniversary Edition (2014), Eric Schmidt (Executive Chairman, Google) writes: “Don remains one of the most perceptive thinkers about the way technology is transforming business and society. Several of his predictions—from networked intelligence to the demands on leaders to embrace technology — have taken permanent hold.” For over 30 years, Tapscott has introduced many ground-breaking concepts that are part of contemporary understanding. A Trent alumnus, his work continues as CEO of The Tapscott Group and a member of World Economic Forum. Don Tapscott was Chancellor of Trent University from 2013 to 2019. (Taken from the Trent University web site (http://www.trentu.ca/chancellor/), 25 March 2015).
Thomas H.B. Symons was born at Toronto, Ontario 30 May 1929, son of Harry Lutz Symons and Dorothy Sarah Bull. He was educated at Upper Canada College, University of Toronto (B.A. 1951), and Oxford University (B.A. 1953, M.A. 1957). He married Christine Ryerson 17 August 1963 and with her had three children: Mary, Ryerson and Jeffery. Professor Symons held many posts as an educator, including Assistant Dean of Men, Trinity College and Instructor of History, University of Toronto 1953-1955; and Dean, Devonshire House, University of Toronto 1955-63. His most notable post, however, was as the founding President and Vice-Chancellor of Trent University, 1961-1972. Symons also held many presidencies, chairmanships and memberships in various organizations, mainly dealing with the topics of education, Canadian studies, Indigenous rights and human rights. From 1971 to 1973, Symons was the President of the Canadian Association in Support of Native Peoples. He was the author of several reports and articles and contributed chapters to many books including: "Political Education in Canada" 1988; "Archives Libraries and the Canadian Heritage" 1983; "A Century of Canada's Arctic Islands, 1880-1980" 1981; "A History of Peel County" 1967; and "Native Rights in Canada" 1970. Professor Symons resided in Peterborough, Ontario until his death on January 1, 2021.
Lieutenant Colonel R.H. Sylvester was the commanding officer with the 45th Regiment militia unit (Victoria and Haliburton Counties) during the early 1900's.
Gabriel Switzer was a farmer in Emily Township during the middle to late 1800's.
Dennis Dickens Sweeting was born in Calgary, Alberta. He was the second child of John Findlay Sweeting and Jessie Craven Dickens. Sweeting was a professional actor from the age of 38 and was founding director of Kawartha Summer Theatre (1964). He was producer/artistic director of Canadian Players, and president of the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists. He also organized the Actor's Equity Association of Canada and served as reeve of Lindsay and ward of Victoria County. Sweeting received his BA from Trent University in 1980, and was recipient of the Maggie Basset Award (1988), an honorary degree from Trent University (1990), and the Order of Canada (1994).
Betsy (Elizabeth Jane) Porter was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1951. She received her BA in English in 1972 from Waterloo Lutheran University (which included one year at the University of Toronto on a Letter of Permission). She married James E. Struthers in 1971; they moved to Peterborough in 1977. She became involved in the literary life of the community as a committee member for the Peterborough County Board of Education Poetry Festival, 1985-1991, and especially as the founder in 1987 and first administrator of the Writers Reading Series at Trent University. She organized and hosted Poetry Month readings at various locations in Peterborough throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Since 1991, she has been a member of the informal Peterborough Women Writers’ Group, which presented a series of talks at the Peterborough Public Library in the winter of 1999-2000. She has also taught poetry workshops in many local schools, at Trent University and Fleming College. After serving as Chair of the Education Committee of the League of Canadian Poets, in which role she co-edited an anthology of essays on teaching poetry, and of the Feminist Caucus, she was President of the League from 1995 to 1997. Since the publication of her first collection of poetry in 1984, she has published nine books of poetry – Still won the 2004 Pat Lowther Award – three novels and a book of short fiction and has conducted workshops and read her work in cities and towns across Canada from Labrador to Victoria. A freelance editor of academic texts, she has worked for Peterborough-based Broadview Press since 1988 as well as other publishers, journals and individuals in Canada and the United States.
Samuel Strickland came to Canada in 1825. He first spent time in Newcastle District and then later cleared some property for a farm in Otonabee Township. He later sold his farm and purchased land in Douro and there he began clearing land at the present site of Lakefield. He was active in church, military and town life. In 1847 he became a Major and in 1851 he was the Reeve of Douro for three years. He also became a Justice of the Peace. During the years of 1828-1831 he worked for John Galt in the Canada Company. In his later years Samuel established an agriculture school for young men and boys interested in pioneer farming. Around the same time that Samuel moved to Douro his sisters Catharine Parr Traill and Susanna Moodie arrived in the area. His sister Agnes edited a book "Twenty-Seven Years in Canada West" which was based on Samuel's writings. H. Stickland was born in 1870 in Peterborough to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Strickland. He married a Miss Hall. He gained fame on his 5 hour and 15 minute swim from the Lakefield locks on the Trent Canal to the Peterborough Lift Locks in 1905.
The Strickland family originated in England at Light Hall, Colton-in-Furness as yeoman farmers and their ancestry can be traced back to the fourteenth century. They were tenants of the Abbey of Furness until the dissolution of the monasteries during the lifetime of Henry VIII. At this time they became landowners and later started to move out of the area to London and other environs. Samuel Strickland (1804-1867) was the first of the Stricklands to come to Canada in 1825. He first spent time in Newcastle District and then later cleared some property for a farm in Otonabee Township. He later sold his farm and purchased land in Douro and there he began clearing land at the present site of Lakefield. His sisters, Catharine Parr (Traill) and Susanna (Moodie) eventually followed him to Canada and settled near him.
The Stratford Festival is an internationally-acclaimed drama festival. It opened in July 1953 in a tent theatre beside the Avon River in Stratford, Ontario. Currently the Festival has three stages, and over 100 actors in its acting corps. Stratford Festival has gained a reputation as the leading classical theatre in North America.
The American Canoe Association was founded in 1880 in the United States and spread rapidly throughout North America. During the third year of its organization the American Canoe Club held its annual meeting and regatta at Juniper Point on Stoney Lake north of Peterborough.