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People and organizations
Jewison, Norman
Person · 1926-2024

Norman Jewison, Canada’s most distinguished and celebrated film director, was born in Toronto in 1926. He attended Kew Beach School, and while growing up in the 1930s displayed an aptitude for performing and theatre. He served in the Navy (1944–1945) during World War II, and after being discharged travelled in the American South, where he confronted segregation, an experience that would influence his later work.

Jewison attended Victoria College in the University of Toronto, graduating with a B.A. in 1949. As a student he was involved in writing, directing and acting in various theatrical productions, including the All-Varsity Revue in 1949. During the summer he worked as a waiter at the Banff Springs Hotel, as well as doing local theatre production. Following graduation he was determined to work in show business, preferably as an actor, and ventured to Hollywood and New York in search of opportunities.

Finding the employment prospects in the United States dim and the cost of economic survival high, Jewison came back to Toronto to drive a taxi for a living, but maintained his ambitions by acting and writing during the summer. After seeking Canadian television production work but finding it unavailable, he moved to London, England, where he worked sporadically as a script writer for a children’s show and bit part actor for the British Broadcasting Company, amid supporting himself with odd jobs. Out of work in Britain in late 1951, he accepted an offer to be a production trainee for CBC-TV in Toronto.

When CBC went on the air in the Fall of 1952, Jewison was an assistant director. During the next seven years he wrote, directed and produced a wide variety of musicals, comedy-variety shows, dramas and specials, including the “The Big Revue,” “Showtime” and “The Barris Beat.” In 1953 he married Margaret “Dixie” Dixon, a former model. They would have three children—Michael, Kevin and Jennifer—who would all pursue careers in the entertainment world, sometimes working on a Jewison film.

His reputation for high quality work was established, and in 1958 Jewison was recruited to work for CBS in New York, where his first assignment was “Your Hit Parade,” followed by “The Andy Williams Show.” The success of these shows led to directing specials featuring performers such as Harry Belafonte, Jackie Gleason, and Danny Kaye. The television production that proved pivotal to Jewison’s career was the Judy Garland “comeback” special that aired in 1961, which included Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and led to a weekly show that Jewison was later called in to direct. Visiting the studio during rehearsal for the special, actor Tony Curtis suggested to Jewison that he should direct a feature film.

Norman Jewison’s career as a film director began with the comedy “Forty Pounds Of Trouble” (1962), starring Curtis. The next three films he directed, including two with Doris Day, “The Thrill Of It All” (1963) and “Send Me No Flowers” (1964), were also light comedies done under contract for Universal Studios. After “The Art Of Love” (1965), Jewison was determined to escape from the genre and tackle more demanding projects. His breakthrough film proved to be “The Cincinnati Kid” (1965), a drama starring Steve McQueen, now considered one of the finest movies made about gambling. This triumph was followed in 1966 by the acclaimed satire on Cold War paranoia, “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming,” which was the first film Jewison also produced, and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Continuing the string of successes was one of the films that have become closely identified with its director: “In The Heat Of the Night” (1967), a crime drama set in a racially divided Southern town and starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, while Jewison was nominated for Directing. As a follow-up he directed and produced another film with McQueen, using innovative multiple screen images in the crime caper “The Thomas Crown Affair.” From that point Jewison would produce all feature films he would direct, often with associate Patrick Palmer, and would also act as producer for films directed by others, beginning with his former film editor Hal Ashby’s “The Landlord” (1970).

After the completion of the period comedy “Gaily, Gaily” (1969), Jewison, having become disenchanted with the political climate in the United States, moved the family to England. At Pinewood Studios northwest of London, and on location in Yugoslavia, he worked on what would become one of the top grossing films of all time, the musical “Fiddler On the Roof” (1971, re-issued 1979), which would win two Oscars and be nominated for five others, including Best Picture and Directing.

Jewison’s next project was the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1973), based on the record album produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It was filmed in Israel, where Jewison also produced the western “Billy Two Hats” (1974), starring Gregory Peck. “Superstar,” controversial for its treatment of a sacred subject, was followed by another movie that sparked critical debate— this time the violence in “Rollerball” (1975), set in the near future where corporations ruled the world and entertainment centred around a deadly game. The next film he directed, the labor union drama “F.I.S.T.” (1978), also provided some turmoil, this time around the script adapted by star Sylvester Stallone.

In 1978 Jewison returned to Canada, settling in the Caledon area in Ontario, and establishing a farm that would produce prize winning cattle. Operating from a base in Toronto, as well as one maintained in California, he directed high profile actors Al Pacino in “…And Justice For All” (1979), and Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn in the romantic comedy “Best Friends,” as well as producing “The Dogs Of War” (1981) and “Iceman” (1984). During this period Jewison also acted as producer for the 53rd Annual Academy Awards (1981), which was slated to air the day President Ronald Reagan was shot, and had to be rescheduled.

Revisiting the theme of racial tension that had characterized “In The Heat Of The Night”, Jewison’s “A Soldier’s Story” (1984), based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play, was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. His subsequent film was also based on an acclaimed play. The provocative “Agnes Of God,” set in a Quebec convent, starred Jane Fonda, Meg Tilly and Anne Bancroft; it received three Academy Award nominations.

Jewison’s next film proved to be one of the most popular romantic films ever made. “Moonstruck” (1987), starring Cher, was a box office hit that garnered three Academy Awards, including Cher as Best Actress. It also competed for the Oscar for Best Picture, as well as providing Jewison with his third nomination for Best Directing. During this period he became the force behind a project that had long been of interest: the Canadian Centre for Advanced Film Studies was incorporated in 1986. Renamed the Canadian Film Centre, it began operations in 1988. As founder, Norman Jewison has continued his efforts for the Centre in many capacities.

For the next decade Jewison continued to direct feature films released by major studios: “In Country” (1989), a drama concerned with Viet Nam veterans and the daughter of a war casualty; “Other People’s Money” (1991), a social comedy about greed in the 1980s; “Only You” (1994) a romantic comedy set in Italy; and Bogus (1996) a fantasy about a young boy and his imaginary friend. He also served as producer for the film “January Man” (1989), and executive producer for the Canadian movie “Dance Me Outside,” and branched back into television both as a director and producer, including the series “The Rez.”

“The Hurricane” (1999) was Jewison’s third film to explore the effects of racism, telling the story of boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, who had been falsely convicted for a triple murder in New Jersey during the mid-sixties. Denzel Washington was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Carter. In 1999 Jewison’s work was recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences when he was bestowed with the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Award for lifetime achievement.

The Thalberg award was one of many honours Jewison has been awarded, including Honorary Degrees from Trent, Western Ontario and the University of Toronto, and being made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1992. In addition, he has received numerous tributes at Canadian and international film festivals and retrospectives, and been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Canada’s Walk of Fame. A park in downtown Toronto was named after him in 2001.

Norman Jewison has continued directing and producing; his latest film to be released was the thriller “The Statement” (2003), based on a novel by Brian Moore, and starring Michael Caine. In recognition of his contributions to the arts, as well as his sustained support, he was installed as Chancellor of Victoria University in 2004. That same year his autobiography “This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me” was published, expressing the enthusiasm, conviction and creative passion that have sustained a rewarding career.

Norman Jewison died in Los Angeles in 2024.

Law, Henry
F94 · Person · 1926-2023

Henry Law was born in 1926. According to his obituary, he was a veteran of the Second World War serving with the Pictou Highlanders. He was a member of the Army Navy Club and the Col. John McCrae Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. His obituary further notes that Mr. Law was a member of various organizations during his lifetime including serving as Past Master of Speed Lodge A.F. & A.M. No. 180 G.R.C. He died in March of 2023.

John Gruszka
Person · 16 July 1926 - 27 December 2022

Born in Poland on July 16, 1926, John Zdzislaw Gruszka enlisted with the Polish Army on September 13, 1944. A member of the Polish Signal Corp., he was discharged on June 20, 1947; and then emigrated to Canada, where he settled in Woodstock, Ontario. In the 1950s he worked at La France Textiles before accepting a job as an attendant at the Ontario Hospital; a position that he held until retirement.

A local history enthusiast, he was an avid collector of local history items, especially those pertaining to Woodstock’s industrial and built heritage. In addition, for many years he took photographs of buildings and locations within Woodstock, Ontario. Gruszka was also a long-time member of the Oxford Philatelic Society (stamp collectors), and the Oxford Historical Society.

John Gruskza passed away on December 27, 2022, in his 97th year, at Lakeridge Health Oshawa and was interned in the Oxford Memorial Park Cemetery; alongside his wife Mary Gruszka nee Pfarr (10 December 1928-26 December 2013).

Fournier, Stephen
Person · 1852-1929

Jean Étienne Fournier (1852-1929) also known as Stephen by the Anglophone community, was a businessman and the first Mayor of the Town of Sudbury. He was born in Trois-Pistoles Québec. Fournier worked on railway construction at Petawawa before he worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) as the Warehouse Manager at Chalk River.

In 1884, Fournier arrived in Sudbury, and worked as the Postmaster, a position that he held until 1897. He opened the first General Store in Sudbury in 1885, after he resigned from his position as Warehouse Manager with CPR. In the same year, he was elected Mayor of the Township of McKim. When Sudbury was established as a town in 1893, he was elected as Mayor of the town, and was re-elected in 1896. The following year, he worked as Town Clerk. Fournier was an active member of the community. He was a member of the first School Board for public and separate schools in the region (1886-1916), and he was a founding member of Collège Sacré Coeur de Sudbury (1913).

Fournier was married to Vitaline Ouellette (1858-1895), and together they had 9 children. Jean Étienne Fournier was remarried in 1898 to Mademoiselle L. Lanthier.

Brodie, William
Person · 1831-1909

William G.A. Brodie was a dentist and naturalist active in the Toronto area throughout the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Brodie was born in 1831 in Peterhead, Aberdeen, Scotland to George Brodie and Jean Milne. At the age of four, Brodie's family moved to Upper Canada, Whitchurch Township and grew up surrounded by nature and fauna, and attending local schools in the area. He would marry Jane Anna MacPherson and have seven children together: one son and six daughters.

Brodie was trained and educated locally and became a teacher in the Whitchurch and Markham townships. He also studied dentistry and in 1870 was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario. He would practice in Markham for over forty years. Brodie was known to refer to his work in dentistry as a "means to make a living" so that he could pursue his true passion for natural history and entomology.

Brodie was an avid naturalist and collected and studied all kinds of specimens. He became a recognized authority in entomology and botany. Brodie founded the Natural History Society of Toronto (originally known as the Toronto Entomological Society) and remained its president until its merger with the Canadian Institute to form it's biological collections. Brodie also wrote a number of articles which were published in the Canadian Entomologist, and the Toronto Evening News.

By 1900 his biological collections were one of the largest in the continent and contained over 100,000 specimens of flora and fauna. He was recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture as the best authority in North America on the aspect of plant pathology. In 1903, he sold a collection of 18,000 galls to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. 80,000 specimen were also sold to the Government of Ontario, who placed them in the Ontario Provincial Museum and named Brodie the curator and first Provincial Entomologist (or Biologist) and was able to retire from dentistry. Brodie remained in this role until his death from pneumonia on August 6, 1909.

The Brodie Club, founded in 1921 after his death, was named after him. The collections of the Ontario Provincial Museum would eventually come to form the basis of the collections at the Royal Ontario Museum.

Person · 1875-1947

Percy Algernon Taverner was an architect and ornithologist born 10 June 1875 in Guelph, Ontario. He was a pioneer of bird-banding and initiated the first co-operative banding scheme in North America. From 1911 to 1942 he worked for the National Museum of Canada and its predecessors and served as the Dominion Ornithologist. He published prolifically in scientific journals and the popular press. His notable publication was "Birds of Canada" published in 1934. He was involved in the creation of Point Pelee National Park and Bonaventure Island Bird Sanctuary. He served as president of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club. He died 9 May 1947 in Ottawa.

The ROM holds 91 bird specimens collected by Taverner in Canada from Alberta to Ontario, and in Michigan and North Dakota in the United States.

Corporate body · 1882 -

St. James' Anglican Church began in 1882 as a mission of Trinity Anglican Church, Galt. The first Anglican services in Hespeler (now part of Cambridge) were held in the Royal Templars' Hall on Cooper Street and later in the Temperance Hall. The Parish of St. James was organized in 1884. On June 17, 1893 the cornerstone was laid for a church with dedication services held on October 28, 1893 by Bishop Maurice Baldwin. St. James was separated on January 01, 1890 from Preston, to which it had been attached since its organization, and continued on as a separate parish.

This first church, which was located at 30 Harvey Street was closed in 1990 when the new church was erected at its present location on Ellis Road.

Corporate body · 1849-

Christ Church at 7 London Road, in Port Albert, Ontario was formed in 1849, with the present church built in 1889. In 1849, the Rve. E.L. Elwood was appointed by the Right Reverend John Strachan of the Diocese of Toronto to be incumbent of Port Albert. In 1859, thd Rev. R. J. Robert was appointed by the Right Rev. Benjamin Cronyn, Bishop of Huron to be the incumbent of the Missionary Dstrict of Ashfield, Colborne, and Wawanosh Townships, County of Huron. Services were held in log houses and schools until In 1874 during the incumbency of the Rev. E.M. Bland the community combined their efforts to build a Union Church to be used by both Anglicans and Presbyterians. The first morning prayer was held on Sunday Nov. 21st, 1875. Led by Rev. J. Carrie, the congregation completed the present brick building in 1889. In 1897, during the incumbency of the Rev. T. L. Armstrong, Christ Church was consecrated by the Right Reverend M. S. Baldwin, Bishop of Huron. The bell in the tower was donated by Mr. J. Patterson.
In 1904, the Ladies’ Guild was organized, at establishment, it was named Ladies’ aid society till 1935 when renamed as Women’s guild until 1964 as the Ladies’ Guild to present. With the appoint of Rev. J. H. Geoghegan as incumbent of the parish of St Peters, Lucknow, St Pauls, Dungannon. Christ Church, Port Albert and St Pauls Ripley, he was assigned with two assistants the Rev, J. C. Caley, and Rev. J. D. Gilmour. Under Rev. Geoghegan, Christ Church celebrated its 75th Anniversary on July 8th, 1934. Under Rev. B. H. Farr who was appointed in 1949, the church underwent renovation including instalment of heating system, and changes to the front and basement entrances. With the appointment of the Rev. H. L. Jennings in 1952, the church became part of arish of Dungannon, Ripley, and Lucknow. From 1953 to 55, the interior of the church was decorated further, including four memorial windows and a war memorial electric organ was dedicated.
Since 1972, Christ Church has been part of a two point charge with St. George’s church Goderich. It was affiliated with the following congregations: 1849- Goderich, Clinton, Seaforth, Holmesville, Dungannon; 1874- Dungannon, St, Helen’s Smith’s Hill, Manchester; 1875-1972 with St Paul’s, Dungannon; 1932-1972 with St. Paul’s, Ripley; and 1969-72 with Kinlough Anglican.

List of Clergy

  • Rev. E. L. Elwood 1849 - 1859
  • Rev. R. J. Roberts 1859 - 1860
  • Rev. R.A. Montgomery 1860 - 1863
  • Rev. Jabez Sims 1863 - 1865
  • Rev. W. Daunt 1865 - 1869
  • Rev. G.W. Wye 1869 - 1870
  • Rev. E.R. Jones 1870 - 1874
  • Rev. E. M. Bland 1874-1877
  • Rev. W. Henderson 1877 - 1878
  • Rev. J. Carrie 1878 - 1892
  • Rev. J.T. Kerrin 1892 - 1893
  • Mr. J.C. McCracken 1893 - 1893
  • Rev. H.W. Jeans 1893 - 1895
  • Mr. C.A. Seager 1895 - 1895
  • Rev. T.L. Armstrong 1895 - 1900
  • Rev. M.M. Goldberg 1900 - 1904
  • Mr. G.B. Cox 1904 - 1904
  • Rev. T. Hicks 1905 - 1911
  • Mr. C.F. DuPlan 1911 - 1911
  • Mr. K. Alexander 1911 - 1911
  • Rev. T.H.L. Young 1912 - 1913
  • Rev. R.A. Robinson 1913 - 1914
  • Rev. H.R. Williams 1914 - 1917
    -Mr. Alfred Shaw 1917 - 1917
  • Rer. W.C. Allison 1917 - 1919
  • Rer. D.D. Douglas 1919 - 1922
  • Rev. E. Hayes 1923 - 1927
  • Rev. W. Perry 1927 - 1929
  • Mr. G.P. Parson 1929 - 1930
  • Rev. F. H. Gibbs 1930 - 1931
  • Rev. W. Hall 1931 - 1932
  • Rev. J. H. Geoghegan 1932 - 1937
  • Captain A. Ayland, C.A. 1932 - 1933
  • Rev. J.C. Caley 1934 - 1935
  • Rev. J.D. Gilmour 1935 - 1936
  • Rev. P.H. Rickard 1936 - 1936
  • Rev. A.A. Maloney 1937 - 1941
  • Rev. J.A. Watton 1938 - 1939
  • Rev. L. Patterson 1939 - 1940
  • Rev. F. A. Hannigan 1940 - 1940
  • Rev. G. K. Nobes 1941 - 1941
  • Mr. C. W. Mixer 1941 - 1941
  • Mr. G.S. Honour 1941 - 1942
  • Rev. A. Donaldson 1942 - 1945
  • Mr. H.L. Parker 1945 - 1945
  • Rev. R.A. Joselyn 1945 - 1948
  • Mr G.M. Wyatt 1946 - 1946
  • Mr. C. Russell 1948 - 1949
  • Rev. A.E. Tavener 1949 - 1949
  • Rev. B.H. Farr 1949 - 1952
  • Rev. H.L. Jennings 1952 - 1960
  • Rev. W. Wright 1960 - 1962
  • Rev J. King 1962 - 1965
  • Rev S. lay 1965 - 1967
  • Rev R. Odenahl 1967 - 1972
  • Rev. G. Russell 1972 - 1976
  • Rev. R. J. Crocker 1976 - 1981
  • Rev. Dr. Peter Baldwin 1987 - 2000
  • Ven. Allan Livingstone 2003-2014
  • Ven. Kim D. Van Allen 2015-2022
  • Rev. Dr. Justin A. Comber 2023-present
Corporate body · 1905-1911

The Great Lakes Ornithological Club, often referred to as the G.L.O.C., was created in 1905 by several naturalists living in the Great Lakes region.

Involved in its creation and early years were P.A. Taverner, J.S. Wallace, B.H. Swales, W.E. Saunders, J.H. Fleming, A.B. Klugh, W. Brodie, Lynds Jones, and J.E. Keays. The G.L.O.C. was loosely organized and consisted mainly of informal gatherings between members and field trips to Pt. Pelee and other locations, with the use of the circulating bulletin as a means to keep all the members in touch with each other. The provisional constitution of the Club noted that its aim was to help advance ornithology in the Great Lakes region. After the first trip to Pt. Pelee, the camp where the club members stayed was named “Camp Coues” in honour of Elliott Coues (1842-1899), author of Key to North American Birds.

This club remained small and exclusive, only allowing serious ornithologists living in the region to join. Perhaps due to the exclusive nature of the membership, this club was active only until 1909, and the bulletin ceased publication in 1911.

Corporate body · 2007 - [?]

Initially formed in 2007 as a not for profit organization, Thamesford Taking Action Group (T’TAG) was a group of area volunteers dedicated to improving and adding to the quality of life in Thamesford.

The group worked to identify the strengths in the Thamesford community as well as those area those areas that could be approved and a three-prong approach was taken in order to create change. To begin, T’TAG participated in a program developed by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Farming, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) known as The First Impressions Program, which saw municipalities paired throughout the province to provide “first impressions” upon visiting one another’s municipality.

At the same time, T’TAG developed a business survey, with assistance of Oxford Small Business Support Centre (OSB) and OMAFRA. Volunteers visited all the businesses that could be identified in Thamesford and worked through individual surveys that were compiled with staff support from OSM and OMAFRA.

The third approach was a community survey which was developed by T’TAG volunteers and included in the October 2009 Village Voice publication and was made available at the Library, Thamesford Pharmacy, and JC Graphics. Online surveys were also accumulated through online reports. Volunteers then proceeded to analyze the data and combine the paper and online response to produce a final report.

The results of the First Impressions program, business survey, and community survey were critical to further projects or actions that benefitted Thamesford.

Keasey, Ernest David
Person · 25 November 1897 - 26 January 1968

The son of David and Lucy (nee Palmer) Keasey, Ernest David Keasey was born in Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire, England on November 25, 1897. In 1914 he joined the British Army where he served in India until his discharge in 1919. During that time, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

He married Emily Mary Riley (26 November 1893 – 1975) in Binton, Warwickshire, England on September 7, 1919, and the couple would go on to have six children. In 1929, the family set sail from Liverpool, England on the S.S. Antonia arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia on April 7th, and would settle in Drumbo and the Ayr District where Ernest worked as a dairy farmer.

On April 7, 1941, he enlisted with the Canadian Army at Brantford and was station at Woodstock, Ontario. Following his discharge in 1945, he remained in Woodstock where he was employed as a attendant at Ontario Hospital until he retired in 1960 due to ill health.

A member of Dundas Street United Church, Ernest D. Keasey passed away, at the age of seventy, at Westminster Hospital, London on January 26, 1968, and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in London, Ontario.

Chambers, Marjorie
Person · 23 May 1894 - 14 March 1991

The daughter of John Nesbitt Chambers and Ann Jane Browne, Annie Charlotte Marjorie Chambers was born in East Oxford Township on May 23, 1994.

A teacher and member of the Oxford Historical Society, Marjorie Chambers, and her sisters, remained at the family home in East Oxford Township following their parents’ deaths. Mary Louise passed away at Woodstock General Hospital following a stroke on September 27, 1976, and in 1981 Marjorie and Bessie both moved to Woodingford Lodge in Woodstock. Bessie passed away in 1989 and Marjorie passed away on March 14, 1991. They are all buried in the family plot in the Woodstock Presbyterian Cemetery.

Chambers, Robert (Rev.)
Person · 1 May 1949 - 2 April 1917

The son of Major Robert Chambers and Catherine Lucas (Nesbitt) Chambers, Robert Chambers was born in Holbrook, North Norwich Township on May 1st, 1849. He graduated from Queen’s University in 1866 and the Princeton Theological Seminary in 1869. In 1869 or 1870, he was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry and became pastor of the Presbyterian church at Nairn, Ontario.

On December 31, 1872, he married Elizabeth Lawson (1843-1923), of Dereham Township. The couple would move to Whitby, Ontario before heading to Turkey in 1879 as missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Upon arrival, Dr. and Mrs. Chambers engaged in relief work in the region of Erzurum, which had been stricken by the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878. Dr. Chambers, also, extensively travelled throughout Armenia and the part of Transcaucasia (also known as the South Caucasus region) bordering on Turkish Armenia, and, with his younger brother, William Nesbitt, a fellow missionary, developed the Erzurum and Erzincan mission fields.

They would eventually take charge of the Nicomedia mission field, near Constantinople. There, Dr. Chambers developed many churches and primary schools, including the development of the Girls’ High School at Adapazarı and the Bithynia High School for boys at Bardizag.

During the Armenian massacres of 1895-1896, Dr. Chambers tack in dealing with Turkish officials and his strenuous efforts in using his influence as a British subject, was said to have saved many a town and village in Bithynia from slaughter. Sadly, the estimated casualties of these massacres ranged from 100,000 to 300,00 resulting in 50,00 orphaned children. In the aftermath, Dr. Chambers founded a large orphanage which grew into the Favre Boys’ Home, an important annex of the Bithynia High School. Under his supervision, the small mission boarding school grew rapidly into a self-supporting school which offered special commercial and academic courses. The attendance of the school grew from 88 boys in 1891 to 350 in 1912.

While in Turkey, Dr. Chambers also instituted the Western Turkish Mission Board of Education, of which he acted as secretary. After the Young Turk Revolution of 1908, he was consulted by Turkish officials who were drawing up a scheme for the reorganization of the primary schools of Turkey, although such plans never fully materialized. In addition, for many years, he served on the board of advisors of the Armenian College for Girls in Constantinople.

On their furloughs in 1888-1981 and 1912-1914, Dr. Chambers travelled throughout the United States and Canada, addressing Congressional and other churches on missionary work in Turkey. When WWI broke out in Turkey, Dr., and Mrs. Chambers were compelled to leave the county in 1915 and returned to the United States where they immediately engaged in the raising of funds for relief work in Turkey.

Dr. Chambers died on April 2, 1917, in Newton, Massachusetts and is buried in the Woodstock Presbyterian Cemetery, alongside his wife. A memorial service was held at Knox Presbyterian Church, on April 6th, in his honour, with his childhood friend, Rev. Dr. McMullen giving the memorial address.

From July 1916, until the time of his death, he served as secretary of the New England Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, later known as Near End Relief. In addition, to his mission work, he wrote largely for the press in the United States about the role of religious missionary work overseas and penned numerous articles for the “Missionary Encyclopedia”.

In 1927, a memorial tablet was unveiled at the Theological Seminary in Princeton commemorating the work of Dr. and Mrs. Chambers, on behalf of the alumni and former students at Bithynia High School who resided in Canada and the United States.

Chambers, John N.
Person · 8 October 1857 - 10 March 1943

The son of Major Robert Chambers and Catherine Lucas Nesbitt, John Nesbitt Chambers was born in Norwich Township on October 8, 1857. On September 19, 1889, he married Ann Jane Browne (1865-1948) in Woodstock, and they would go on to have three girls: Elizabeth (Bessie) (1890-1989), Annie Charlotte (Marjorie) (1894-1991) and Mary Louise (1900-1976). The family lived at Kennevar, the family diary farm near Woodstock, Ontario. Mr. Chambers was widely known as a breeder of pure-bred Jersey cattle for over fifty years.

A keen student of current and world affairs, J.N. Chambers was a frequent contributor of letters and articles to the Woodstock Sentinel-Review. He also served as president of the Oxford South Conservative Association. J.N. Chambers passed away on March 10, 1943, at the Woodstock General Hospital, and is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery.

His brothers, Rev. Robert Chambers and William Nesbitt Chambers, both served as missionaries in Turkey and Armenia during the late 1800s and early 1900s, whereas their brother Rev. James Chambers was a presbyterian minister in New York State.

His daughters remained at the family home in East Oxford Township following his death. Mary Louise passed away at Woodstock General Hospital following a stroke on September 27, 1976, and in 1981 Marjorie and Bessie both moved to Woodingford Lodge in Woodstock. Bessie passed away in 1989 and Marjorie passed away on March 14, 1991. They are all buried in the family plot in the Woodstock Presbyterian Cemetery.

Chambers, Robert (Major)
Person · 27 August 1811 - 28 February 1881

The son of Robert Chambers and Margaret Graham, Major Robert Chambers was born on August 27, 1811, in Tyrone County, Ireland. He emigrated to Canada and by 1837 was residing in Toronto Township, York County. On February 3, 1845, he married Catharine Lucas Nesbitt (1823-1877) in Peel County. A member of the militia, he was given land in North Norwich Township, Oxford County where the couple settled. They would have six children: Eliza Lucas (1847-1881), Robert (1849-1917), James (1851-1911), William Nesbitt (1853-1934), John Nesbitt (1857-1943), and Catherine Lucas (1860-1880). Robert passed away on February 18, 1881 at the age of sixty-eight and is buried in the Woodstock Presbyterian Cemetery.

Dorothy H. Hoover Library
Corporate body · 1922-

The Library was formed in 1922, one year after the Ontario College of Art moved into its own building in Grange Park. At that time, the College had a staff of 7 instructors, 6 visiting instructors and 3 assistant instructors, under the direction of a Principal and Vice-Principal, with 330 registered students. Robert Holmes (botanist, master of water colour technique, and flower painter) successfully lobbied for the establishment of a Library and generously donated his personal book collection to the College. Space on the second floor of the OCA building (now known as the “Grange Wing”) was partitioned off from the life model’s dressing room to form a small library.

OCAD University
Corporate body · 1876-

OCAD University was originally established in Toronto in 1876 by the Ontario Society of Artists. Back then it was called the Ontario School of Art. In 1912, it was incorporated as the Ontario College of Art, becoming the first school in Canada dedicated to exclusively to the education of professional artists in fine and commercial art. In 1996, the name changed to the Ontario College of Art and Design, reflecting the growth of design programs. In 2010, to reflect the institution’s status as a university granted in 2002, the school became officially known as OCAD University.