The United Church of Canada was founded in 1925 as a merger of the Methodist Church of Canada, the Congregational Union of Ontario and Quebec, part of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Association of Local Union Churches.
Arthur Medland served as a Leading Aircraftman (1714975) with the RAF stationed at Maintenance Unit 351 serving the British North African Force. Medland had family in Verdun, Quebec, including his Uncle William White, whose son Douglas, he also corresponded with. Douglas White served on the HMCS Owen Sound.
Jessie Sarah Graham was born in 1906. She married Elmore Joselin, and they lived in Scarborough, Toronto, where their daughter, Beverley was born. Jessie Joselin died in 1998.
During the Second World War, Mrs. Joselin volunteered with the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Women’s Auxiliary affiliated with Birch Cliff School in Scarborough. She led a group that made children’s clothing (especially layettes) for British families whose homes had been destroyed by German bombs. The effort continued after the war and was extended to French families.
Mrs. Joselin’s father was an art teacher in Toronto. One of his students, Bettina (‘Bun’) Somers, from England, befriended Jessie. In addition to art, Somers also studied nursing. When it was time for Jessie to give birth to Beverley, Somers delivered her. Upon her return to England, Somers worked as a ‘tracer’ during the Second World War. The job of a tracer was to trace drawings prepared by draughtsmen to facilitate the production of blueprint copies.
Henry Eugene (Hank) Novak was a native of Hamilton, a McMaster student, and an RCAF officer during the Second World War. He was killed in action on January 17, 1945.
A more detailed biographical note by Dr. C.M. Johnston can be found at <a href="http://alumni.os.mcmaster.ca/s/1439/index.aspx?pgid=682">‘Discover McMaster’s World War II Honour Roll’</a>.
Peter Calamai spent almost five decades as a newspaper reporter and editor working for major Canadian newspapers. He obtained a B.Sc. in physics from McMaster University in 1965, and while a student, he was editor-in-chief of the undergraduate student newspaper The Silhouette during which it was named the best student newspaper in Canada. Calamai remains involved in McMaster’s alumni community.
Best known for his award-winning 1987 adult literacy series, Calamai has worked on a number of high-profile stories in Washington, Europe, Africa, and Ottawa; he has worked as national and foreign correspondents for Southam News (1969-1990), editorial pages editor at The Ottawa Citizen (1990-1996), and national science reporter at the Toronto Star (1998-2008). Calamai has also worked as a freelance reporter, photographer, consultant, speech writer, and instructor.
An advocate for science, literacy, and journalistic professionalism, Calamai has been nationally recognized for his involvement in public issues and exceptional news reporting and writing through his Order of Canada (2014) and Diamond Jubilee Medal, among numerous other awards. Remaining dedicated to the promotion of accurate science reporting, he is a founding member of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association and the Science Media Centre of Canada.
Calamai passed away at the age of 75, in January 2019.
Ruth has long been fascinated with the lives of women of the mythology of Ancient Greece and goddesses of the Greek Pantheon as they are presented in Greek mythology and she has written extensively about them in poetry. There are three epics and one stand-alone volume. All her books are published by Colombo & Company.
Robert (Bob) Edmund Dorsey was born in Hamilton, Ontario on December 4, 1919 to Annie and Josiah (Joe) Joshua Dorsey. Dorsey attended McMaster University and graduated with a BA in 1941. He excelled in tennis and badminton, winning the singles tennis championship in a district meet in 1939, and competing in badminton tournaments at the Thistle Club to become Hamilton’s singles champion for two consecutive years.
During his time at McMaster, Dorsey trained as a cadet in the McMaster Contingent of the Canadian Officers' Training Corps (COTC). He completed his military training in 2 years and was named a 2nd lieutenant in 1942, enlisting in active service in May of the same year. While stationed at Camp Gordon, Dorsey completed the requirements to become a lieutenant. He then acted as a training centre instructor in Simcoe and Brantford. In 1943, he married Florence Kathleen Riley. Florence and Dorsey had one son, John Josiah, born February 1, 1944, whom Dorsey never had the opportunity to meet.
After being transferred to the Canadian Army (Active Force) Overseas, Dorsey boarded a ship for England, where he joined to the 5th Canadian Reinforcement Unit. He was assigned to the 7th Brigade Group, 3rd Canadian Division a month later. In the spring of 1944, Dorsey became a reinforcement officer for the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, a machine gun and mortar regiment designated for active service. Dorsey was involved in their pre-invasion training prior to the D-Day operation. He co-founded a frontline regimental newspaper called “The Rocket.” Dorsey was killed at Normandy on June 7, 1944. He was given full military honours in a burial ceremony at Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, Reviers in Calvados, France.
William Alexander Stephens was born in Belfast, Ireland, on 9 April 1809. While still a child, he emigrated with his family to New York and then, in 1816, to Upper Canada (now Ontario), first to Toronto and Markham, then to Esquesing Township (now part of Halton Region) where his parents, Thomas and Eleanor (Newburn) Stephens, established a farm. Stephens was one of twelve children.
In 1839 Stephens was summoned to Hamilton for jury duty. While there, he commented on the view from the top of the mountain (escarpment) and was encouraged to compose a poem about it. Stephens took up the challenge and composed “Hamilton,” a lengthy poem in a style reminiscent of the 18th century, including long passages based on Biblical stories and references to Greek myths; it also contains descriptions of early Hamilton, particularly in the first half of Book IV.
The poem, along with others by Stephens, was published in 1840 in Toronto by Rogers and Thompson as Hamilton and other poems. The book was one of the first volumes of poetry by an Ontarian ever published and helped earn Stephens the title “the pioneer poet of Ontario,” as assigned by T. J. Rexaledan in an 1891 article in Saturday Night. An expanded edition of Hamilton and other poems was published in 1871. (Both editions are available in the Archives’ book collection).
Stephens married Marian (Mary) Crispin in Toronto Township (present day Mississauga) on 13 October 1845. They lived initially in Norval and then later in Ballinafad (both in Esquesing). They moved to Owen Sound in 1850 where Stephens had been appointed customs officer, and would live there for the rest of their lives. In the 1871 census, Stephens is 62 years of age, his wife Mary is 45, and their children are listed as James C. (24), Newburn (22), Eliza A. (20), Henry R. (18), William S. (16), Haldane H. (14), Mary E. (12), and Edward W. (7).
Several of Stephens’ siblings also lived in Owen Sound, including brothers Thomas C. Stephens, Robert E. Stephens, A. M. Stephens, and Henry N. Stephens, and sisters Mary Doyle, Eliza Miller, Ellen Layton, and Rachel Layton.
Over the years, Stephens held a variety of other positions in Owen Sound in addition to customs officer, including notary public, lumber merchant, newspaper editor, insurance agent, and mayor (1869). He was a member of the Disciples church and frequently spoke at church worship services.
Stephens was a prolific writer of essays and poems, with pieces appearing in a broad range of journals and newspapers, including the Gleaner (Niagara), the Canadian Casket and Canadian Gleaner (both of Hamilton), the Advocate, Palladium, Examiner, and Leader (all of Toronto), the Albion (New York), the Saturday Courier (Philadelphia), the Review (Streetsville), the Baptist Magazine (Montreal), and more.
He also authored separately published booklets and essays—A poetical geography and rhyming rules for spelling (Toronto, 1848), Papal infallibility … as seen in the light of revelation (Owen Sound, 1871), and The centennial: an international poem (Toronto, 1878).
Stephens died in Owen Sound in 1891.
Lord Alfred Spencer Churchill was the second son of the sixth Duke of Marlborough (1793-1857). He was born on 24 April 1842. He served in the military and also as Member of Parliament for Woodstock, 1845-1847 and 1857-1865. He was a member of the Society of Arts, serving as chairman, 1875-1880. He married Harriett Gough-Calthorpe in 1857. Their daughter, Adeline ("Daisy") Spencer Churchill was born in 1861. Lord Alfred died in London on 21 September 1893. His daughter married Colonel William Hugh Williams on 1 August 1895. They had two sons, Herbrand Alfred Collam ("Sam") Williams, born 30 June 1896, and Geoffrey Williams. Both sons served during World War I. Herbrand was a Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps. He later rose to the rank of Captain. Herbrand married a Russian, Xenia Poushkine, on 8 April 1927. Geoffrey served on H.M.S. Queen, H.M.S. St. Vincent and H.M.S. Dragon.
Robert James Sawyer, novelist, was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on April 29, 1960 and lives in Mississauga, Ontario with his wife, poet Carolyn Clink. He is one of Canada’s best known science fiction writers. He is the only Canadian writer to have won all three of the top international awards for science fiction: the 1995 Nebula Award for The Terminal Experiment, the 2003 Hugo Award for Hominids, and the 2006 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Mindscan.
Sawyer is the author of 22 novels. His short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Amazing Stories and many anthologies. In addition to his own writing, Sawyer edits the Robert J. Sawyer Books science fiction imprint for Red Deer Press. Sawyer has also worked on radio, film and television productions. His novel, FlashForward (1999) was made into an hour-long dramatic TV series consisting of 22 episodes by ABC in 2009-2010. Sawyer has written and narrated documentaries about science fiction for CBC Radio’s Ideas series and hosted documentary series for Canada’s Vision TV. He has also been a freelance writer of technological articles.
Sawyer has taught science fiction writing at Ryerson University, University of Toronto, Humber College and the Banff Centre. He holds an honourary doctorate from Laurentian University. He has been a Writer-in-Residence at three Ontario libraries: the Richmond Hill Public Library, the Kitchener Public Library and the Toronto Public Library. Sawyer has given numerous talks at many venues, including the Library of Congress and National Library of Canada and has been keynote speaker at dozens of events in places such as Boston, Tokyo and Barcelona.
Sawyer has been an advocate of Canadian science fiction. He helped establish the Canadian Region of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1992 and served as the first Canadian Regional Director from 1992-1995. Sawyer’s work is well received internationally. His novels have been translated into many languages.
Tools for Peace, National Office (Canada)
Tools for Peace developed in the early 1980's to provide humanitarian aid to Nicaragua. It grew out of a 1981 visit of union and community activists from British Columbia. Upon returning home the BC tour members gathered supplies to send to Nicaragua, an action which inspired similar initiatives across Canada. By 1983 Tools for Peace had become a dynamic national movement, with head offices in Vancouver, Toronto and Managua and committees across Canada. For a decade Tools for Peace enjoyed the support of thousands of Canadians and raised more than {dollar}12 million in aid for the Nicaraguan people. The Tools for Peace National Office provided coordination and leadership for the regional Tools for Peace committees. Its varied roles included planning of organisational initiatives, policy development, information distribution, development of promotional and educational resources, coordination of political action and liaison with related organisations.
Guiseppe Buonamici was an Italian pianist, teacher, and editor, born in Florence in 1846. He died there in 1914. He studied first with his uncle, Ceccherini and completed his studies with Hans von Bülow and Joseph Rheinberger at the Munich Conservatory (1868-1870), where was he was then appointed professor.
Pieter Tas (1868-1947) was born in Holland but became best known as a musician in England. From 1907 to 1910 he was resident conductor of the private orchestra of the Duke of Devonshire. His son Pierre Tas (1902-1971) was a well-regarded violinist and teacher.
Norman Angell, author, was born in the Mansion House, Holbeach, on 26 December 1872 and educated at Geneva University. Rather than going on to Cambridge, at age seventeen, he left for the United States, supporting himself by manual labour. He later became a journalist, working in San Francisco, before returning to Europe. From 1904 to 1912 he was the Paris editor of The Daily Mail. His 1910 influential book The Great Illusion, on the prevention of war, was very widely read and discussed.
He was one of the founding members of the Union of Democratic Control. From 1929 to 1931 he served as Labour Member of Parliament for North Bradford. He was knighted in 1931 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1933. He died in Croydon on 7 October 1967.
Virginia Woolf, novelist and essayist, was born in Kensington on 25 January 1882 and educated at home by her father, Sir Leslie Stephen. In 1912 she married Leonard Woolf. Together they established the Hogarth Press in 1917. Although her early novels employed a more traditional style of writing, she later explored different techniques such as stream of consciousness. In addition to her fiction, Woolf wrote essays, biography, and the feminist classic A Room of One's Own. She suffered from bouts of mental instability throughout her life and drowned herself on 28 March 1941.
Dodd, Mead and Company was founded in New York city by Moses W. Dodd in 1839. It grew from a small religious publishing house into one of the leading publishing firms in the United States. The company's history was published in 1939 by Edward H. Dodd as The First Hundred Years.
Eric White, music critic and arts administrator, was born in Bristol on 10 September 1905 and educated at Balliol College, Oxford. From 1929 to 1933 he worked as a translator for the League of Nations. Later on, from 1942 to 1971 he was employed by the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts (CEMA) and its successor, the Arts Council. His most important book is considered to be Stravinsky: The Composer and His Work (1966), based on a long study. He also wrote The Rise of English Opera (1951) and A History of English Opera (1983). He died in September 1985 in London.
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was founded in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1933 and became Canada's first national socialist-democratic party.
The Toronto Association for Peace (TAP) was one of the many peace groups under the umbrella of the Canadian Peace Congress (CPC). It was founded at the same time or slightly before the CPC, in December 1948.
