The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), founded in London, England, was established on religious beliefs and provided opportunities for young men to make constructive use of their leisure time. The London, Upper Canada branch of the YMCA is presumed to have been founded in 1856 by William Bowman, a railway construction supervisor. The organization provided leisure activities including camps, fitness and education programming, and various social events, and would evolve over time to take on a growing religious role, even partaking in missionary work in Asia. The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) was founded in London, England in 1855. In1889, Miss Tilley, the daughter of the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, inspired community members in London, Ontario to organize a Young Women’s Christian Temperance Union (YWCTU). The YWCA began as a branch within the YWCTU, but they developed into a separate organization. The YWCA provided social and religious services and activities to young women around London and the surrounding area. Ultimately, the YMCA and the YWCA amalgamated in 1951, becoming the Young Men’s and the Young Women’s Christian Association. It was officially incorporated in April 1953 by an Act of Ontario. The function of the organization remained largely the same as its predecessors, providing spiritual, physical, and mental support to the young men and women around the city. Today, the YM-YWCA, known simply as the YMCA or the ‘Y’, has the same function as it has had historically, as a multi-service charity that provides opportunities for personal growth in spirit, mind and body for people of all backgrounds, beliefs and abilities. They operate gymnasium facilities, child care centres, community programs, and camps for over 135,000 members across Southwestern Ontario area. Until c.2012 known as YMCA-YWCA of London and now part of YMCA of Southwestern Ontario.
Leonard George Westland owned and operated a hardware and paint store in London South on Wortley Road near Bruce St. in the first part of the 20th century. He was also an amateur photographer.
Western's Caucus on Women's Issues was formed in 1980 to promote and safeguard the interests of women at the University of Western Ontario and its affiliates. Its objectives are: (1) to cultivate a sense of community among women at the university, (2) to encourage the integration of findings from feminist research into curricula at UWO and its affiliates and (3) to promote a work environment that facilitates the full professional development of all women employed at UWO and its affiliates.
The Caucus held lecture series, sponsored a women's studies essay award and hosted a brown bag lunch series to foster discussion. The group also produced several documentaries about the experiences of women and minority groups in post-secondary institutions including Breaking the Trust (1986), The Chilly Climate (1991), Backlash to Change (1996) and Voices of Diversity (2008).
In addition to this, the Caucus mobilized its membership around issues of importance to women, forming committees to address particular issues and to ensure that women would have meaningful input into initiatives undertaken by the university. The Caucus gave recommendations on the university's sexual harassment policy and race relations policy, submitted proposals for affirmative action/ employment equity and gave input during the university's strategic planning process.
The Women's Studies Committee of the Caucus on Women's Issues raised awareness about courses focused on women and ensured that library holdings supported women's studies. The committee compiled the “Directory of Women's Studies Courses” which, in the absence of a formal women's studies program, identified courses which fell into the realm of women's studies - courses which previously had not been identified as such. In 1981, courses identified as “women's studies” were offered for the first time.
The Caucus actively promoted employment equity (previously known as affirmative action) at Western, submitting in 1982 a brief on the status of women that contained a proposal for affirmative action. In 1986 Western received the Ontario government's employment equity award and in response to this, Constance Backhouse released the report, “Women faculty at UWO: reflections on the employment equity award.” Constance Backhouse researched the history of women at Western extensively in writing this report and conducted additional research on women at Western for the U.W.O. law archives and in preparation for celebrations marking 100 years of women at Western.
Founded on March 7, 1878 by Bishop Isaac Hellmuth (1817–1901) ‘The Western University of London Ontario’ opened its doors to students for the first time in 1881. Four faculties were established (Arts, Divinity, Law and Medicine) at Western's inception.
In 1916, the current campus property was mainly purchased from the Kingsmill family, with construction beginning in 1922 and first classes held in summer of 1924. In 1923 the university was renamed The University of Western Ontario.
Since that first class graduated in 1883, the university has become a vibrant centre of learning. Through 12 faculties and three affiliated university colleges, Western today offers its 36,000-plus students more than 400 specializations, majors and minors.
The Western Fair Association began with the amalgamation of the East Middlesex Agricultural Society and the London District Horticultural and Agricultural Society in 1867. The first annual Western Fair was held the following year in September 1868 over two days. It eventually expanded into a ten-day event. It was originally created in part for farmers to sell their produce and their families to sell other wares, but has become a much larger autumn fair and agricultural exhibit with auto shows, harness racing, midway rides and more.
The Western Fair’s exhibits often appealed to what people were interested in each year. In 1883, night exhibitions with incandescent lightbulbs were held. In 1960, a fully-stocked bomb shelter drew large crowds. In the 1930s, due to demands made by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, the fairgrounds went “dry” and prohibited the use or sale of alcohol. The agricultural and livestock portions of the fair, which had originally made up the majority of its offerings, eventually became minimized for more urban attractions that matched the urbanization of London itself. This included the development of musical acts and concerts and an expansion of the midway rides. It had a lot of community engagement and support, especially in the beginning. Children would sometimes be let out of school early, given a day off or taken on a field trip in order to attend the fair.
The Western Fair was originally held north of Victoria Park at a site on Richmond Street but moved to Queens Park by Dundas and Rectory Street in 1887. When the fair moved, they held a contest to design the main exhibition building. The winner was George Durand, whose design was known as the Crystal Palace because it was based off the Crystal Palace in London, England. The building burnt down in 1927 and was replaced with the Confederation Building. During the Second World War, the fairgrounds were used by the Department of Military Defense as barracks and training grounds, thus shutting down the Western Fair from 1939 to 1947. It resumed in 1948 but the fairgrounds had been extremely altered and many buildings and amenities had to be rebuilt or renovated.
The Western Fair Association has had a number of presidents over the years, including James Johnston and Lieutenant Colonel William Moir Gartshore. John Huse Saunders was president of the association for 22 years, from 1922 to 1944, and is credited with many accomplishments, including his work in developing the poultry department over his fifty year-long association with the Western Fair.
The Western Fair is an important cultural, historical and financial event for the City of London as it supports a number of merchants and businesses in London and its surrounding areas, as well as its citizens. Although it began as an annual event, the Western Fair has now become a corporate entity that hosts events year-round. In June 2011, the Western Fair Association was rebranded as the Western Fair District.
The Board of Governors of Western University was established in 1908 with full authority to govern and manage the affairs of the University, except for those purely academic matters assigned to the Senate. The Board's mandate was to manage the property, finances, and business affairs of the University.
In 1880, Robinson left and Tracy and Durand worked as partners. This partnership lasted until Tracy became city engineer.
The Sisters of St. Joseph built St. Mary’s Hospital at 200 Grosvenor Street in 1951. It received its first 35 patients on April 3, 1951 from the House of Providence. It was created to serve the special medical and nursing needs of the chronically ill. The Sisters assigned to St. Mary’s Hospital in 1951 were: Sr. Patrick Joseph as Superior; Sr. Leonora Doyle as Superintendent of the Hospital; Sisters: Irene Redmond, Austin Gurvine, Christina Dewan, Alberta Kenny, Lutgarde Stock, Bernandine Boyle, St. Matthew McMurray, Gervase Martin, Roseanne Sheehan, Ludmille (Isabel) Girard, Carmela Reedy, Justina Mahoney, Vincent de Paul Cronin, Genevieve Anne Cloutier, Dolores Sullivan. Its physiotherapy department was especially well-known for its efficiency, modern equipment, and well trained staff.
Many patients at St. Mary’s were there for long-term care and were encouraged to make the hospital their home. Some of the programs that facilitated this were the Patients’ Council, a patient newspaper called Between Friends, and fund-raising events for charities and the hospital. The hospital’s budget was often strained. In 1959, the Ontario Hospital Commission Insurance was created which provided welcome financial relief for many hospitals, including St. Mary’s. It was difficult for administrative and medical staff to adjust with extra patient evaluations and paperwork required to qualify for insurance.
In 1960, the hospital re-organized its staff in preparation for the Canadian Council Accreditation Survey which the hospital passed. The hospital maintained its accreditation over the years despite inadequate facilities which were addressed in 1979-1981 with a large building project. The old laundry and what remained of the Mount Hope Chapel were demolished to make way for a new chapel, laundry, and kitchen which connected the hospital with the neighbouring Marian Villa. In 1979, the Pastoral Department was created at the hospital. A Sister or priest worked part-time to co-ordinate the Sisters who volunteered for pastoral visits to patients.
In 1985, St. Mary’s Hospital merged with St.Joseph’s Hospital and Marian Villa to become St. Joseph’s Health Centre. In 1986, rehabilitation services were added at St. Mary’s Hospital for acute injuries, amputees, neurological, orthopaedic, and chronic pain. In 1997, it became part of the Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care.
The Sisters of St. Joseph have a long history of music instruction. The St. Joseph’s School of Music traces its beginnings back to 1914, when the Sisters of St. Joseph first took up residence at Sacred Heart Convent in London, Ontario, and began formal music instruction, due to the initiative taken by Sister Ursula McGuire and Sister Patricia Mallon. The school was quite successful and soon after its opening, Sister Patricia Mallon was recalled from Goderich to lead the school. The school's earliest known music recital took place in 1919; however, it wasn't until the early 1920s that the school was established as the Sacred Heart School of Music. The music ministry has an even longer history, though, as individual Sisters were offering music lessons in small mission houses and schools throughout Ontario as early as 1867.
In the early days of the Sisters’ music ministry and the Sacred Heart School of Music, music studios were established in a number of schools within the London Separate School Board, and Sisters would visit the schools once or twice a week to teach. These schools included St. Michael, St. Martin, Holy Cross, Holy Rosary, Blessed Sacrament and St. Peter’s Catholic Schools. By 1929, the music ministry had 27 music teachers, and the Sisters offered music instruction in Windsor, Belle River, Leamington, Goderich, St. Mary’s, Ingersoll, Woodstock and St. Thomas in Ontario, as well as in Edmonton, Alberta. That year, Sister Callistus Arnsby was appointed Community Music Supervisor and Principal of the Sacred Heart School of Music. She was responsible for creating uniformity in policies and structure throughout the schools, and for helping the Sisters to grow professionally.
The Sacred Heart School of Music’s instructors studied and were trained themselves at the London Conservatory of Music (1892-1922), which later became the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music (1934-1997). Some of the Sisters also received special instruction in violin and piano teaching from a well-known musician of the time, Mr. St. John Hyttenruck.
The Sisters originally taught a program of studies based on the examination requirements of the Toronto Conservatory of Music (now the Royal Conservatory of Music). Students could take annual examinations, with examiners from the conservatory coming to the school for the exams. However, when the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music was established in London in 1934, the Sacred Heart School of Music began following its courses and requirements instead.
As the years went on, the Sacred Heart School of Music continued to grow. School policies were instituted, student recitals took place regularly, scholarships and awards were established, and bi-annual report cards were issued to students. There was even a music library. In the 1940s, the Sacred Heart Concert Orchestra was formed by Sister Immaculata Brophy. Originally a string ensemble, the orchestra eventually expanded to include wind, bass and percussion instruments. The Sacred Heart Concert Orchestra played frequently at important civic and religious events and gave annual concerts in London and other nearby cities until the late 1940s when it disbanded.
When the new Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse opened in 1954, the music school was relocated there, and its name was changed to the St. Joseph School of Music. The new St. Joseph School of Music contained larger, modern facilities, including St. Cecilia’s Recital Hall and adjoining music studios for teaching and practice. However, some of the school’s original studios were still retained, such as the studio at 429 Colborne St., a small house across the street from the Sacred Heart Convent, which continued to be used for teaching until 1973.
In addition to piano and violin instruction, the Sisters also offered vocal instruction. In fact, Sister Mary Margaret Childs organized several choirs over the years, including a senior girls’ choir called the School of Christ Choristers and a junior choir called the Little Radio Choir. In 1963, she formed a choir of her own senior vocal students called the St. Cecilia Singers who sang a repertoire of sacred songs, folk songs, popular songs, plain chant, and carols. The St. Cecilia Singers made quite a name for themselves, touring throughout Canada and the United States and winning many awards at Rotary and Kiwanis Music Festivals. The choir is still in existence today as part of the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University. By 1972, the St. Joseph’s School of Music had an enrolment of approximately 400 students, and lessons were offered in piano, violin, singing, and music theory. At this point the school had 30 teachers, seven of whom were Sisters.
In September 1982, the St. Joseph's School of Music was amalgamated with the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music on the University of Western Ontario campus. The St. Joseph's School of Music programs continued, its teachers were invited to join the conservatory staff, and its students were able to continue with their same teachers. By 1993, only three Sisters remained teaching at the conservatory. Shortly thereafter, the three Sisters began teaching independently again, offering independent instruction at the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse. In 2014, Sister Caroline Bering was the sole Sister still offering music instruction, with one student under her tuition.
In London, the health care complex now known as St. Joseph’s Health Centre (originally St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital and Marian Villa), was administered by the Sisters until 1993. St. Stephen’s House, a transition home for alcoholics, was run by the Sisters until 2004. In Chatham, St. Joseph’s Hospital was administered by the Sisters until 1993, and since 1998 has been part of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.
In January 1995, the Sisters donated their residence at 430 London Road to St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Sarnia to be used as a hospice. St. Joseph’s Hospice in London came under the direction of the St. Joseph’s Health Care Society whose expertise in operating the ten-bed hospice in Sarnia was integral to their involvement. A residential facility was opened in 2014.
This shift in hospital control came about in 1987, following the election of a completely new General Council of the Sisters of Joseph, when hospital ownership and sponsorship were raised as key issues. The Society was formed in 1993 in response to a decision made by the Sisters to cease direct administration of the health care institutions founded by them by establishing each of their hospitals as separate corporations and having lay people take over the administration. Therefore, they formed the St. Joseph’s Health Care Society to take up the particular role of Sponsor to ensure the ongoing stewardship of the treasure of Catholic health care into the future. The Society is the overall governing body. It connects the hospitals back to the Church to maintain Catholic identity. It has both canonical and civil law obligations. It governs the hospitals and hospices formerly administered by the Sisters in London as well as hospices in Sarnia, and London. The Society also addresses social and health needs and serves as a catalyst to implement solutions.
St. Joseph’s Health Care Society now administers St. Joseph’s Health Care (London, Ont.), St. Joseph's Hospice of Sarnia and Lambton, and St. Joseph’s Hospice of London.
Some important dates in the history of the transfer of hospital administration:
July 6, 1993: St. Joseph’s Health Care Society formed in London.
1985: Bluewater Health Foundation formed.
January 29, 1998: Signing of Strategic Alliance Agreement between St. Joseph’s Health Care Society on behalf of St. Joseph’s Hospital Sarnia and Sarnia General Hospital. Ownership of hospital later transferred to Lambton Hospitals Group.
February 1, 2018: Chatham Kent Health Alliance formed, amalgamating Sydenham District Hospital, the Public General Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chatham.
The St. Joseph’s Health Care Society is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The Society approves the appointment of institutional board members, upper management, and auditors and annual audited financial statements.
The Society is responsible to:
• approve the appointment of board trustees who are committed to the mission and values of St. Joseph’s Health Care Society;
• ensure the provision by board members, staff, and administrators of health and pastoral care services to reflect Roman Catholic values; and
• foster the Catholic Church’s philosophy of health care through sponsorship of a health leadership program.
Daughter of Dr. Richard Maurice Bucke and Jessie Maria Gurd, later married to Dr. Edwin Seaborn in 1904. They had one child, Ina (Dee-Dee) Jessie Helene.
Dr. Edwin Seaborn was born on May 14, 1872 in Rawdon, Quebec to Reverend William Minter Seaborn and Aquile Rondeau Seaborn. The family moved to London, Ontario in 1879. Seaborn graduated from Western University Medical School in 1895. After graduation he taught Anatomy at the Medical School, becoming a professor of Anatomy and Surgery and the Chair of Anatomy by 1916. In 1916, Seaborn was appointed commander, at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, of the No. 10 Stationary Hospital established by Western University. The unit served in England from 1916 to 1917, and France from 1917 until demobilization in 1919.
In private practice in London after the war, Seaborn also carried out medical and zoological research. His research included an extensive study of Ochronosis, a rare disease, and a study of the Maskinonge species of fish. Seaborn was also interested in local history. He was very active in the London and Middlesex Historical Society, and served as president in 1936. Through his involvement in the society, he obtained access to the diaries, letters and reminiscences of various area residents, including early pioneers, farmers, merchants and doctors. Seaborn combined his love of medicine and history, to write The March of Medicine in Western Ontario, which traces the history of medicine in Western Ontario. In 1938, the University of Western Ontario presented Seaborn with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
In 1904 Seaborn married Ina Matilda Bucke, daughter of prominent physician, Dr. Richard Maurice Bucke. They had one child, Ina (Dee-Dee) Jessie Helene.
Edwin Seaborn retired in 1948 and died in London, Ontario in November, 1951.
In the late 1860s, Durand articled for architect William Robinson where he met his friend and future partner Thomas Tracy. Durand returned to London and formed a partnership with Robinson and Tracy in 1878.
In 1897, brothers John McKinnon McDermid and Duncan Hugh McDermid joined the C.R. Somerville Company in London, Ontario. C.R. Somerville manufactured chewing gum, popcorn, and boxes, among other products. In 1908, the company was sold to an American firm and the candy manufacturing division moved to Toronto while the box division remained in London under the new name, Somerville Paper Box Company, with J.K. McDermid as its President. In February 1911, the McDermid brothers purchased the company for the manufacture of chewing gum. Their new company was named the O-Pee-Chee Gum Company. Opeechee, meaning Robin in Ojibwe, was the name of the McDermid cottage in Grand Bend, Ontario.
In 1921, the O-Pee-Chee Gum Company was incorporated as a public company with members of the McDermid family holding the five shareholder positions and the four director positions. The company’s name changed from the O-Pee-Chee Gum Company to the O-Pee-Chee Company Limited at the time of incorporation. The company now manufactured chewing gum, mints, and popcorn, including the popular Krackley Nut. A manufacturing plant was constructed at 430 Adelaide Street in 1928. The company experienced an increase in production in the ensuing decade as a result of various licensing agreements in Canada and the United Kingdom. The 1930s also saw the introduction of collectable cards sold within their gum packaging. These included a baseball set, a Mickey Mouse set, and a Fighting Forces set.
The O-Pee-Chee Company was forced to rethink their business strategy during World War II and the onset of sugar rationing. They signed war contracts to supply dried egg powder overseas. The only confectionary product sold during the war was Thrills chewing gum. In addition to changes in production, there were many leadership and corporate changes during this time. D.H. McDermid passed away in 1942 and J.K. McDermid passed away in 1945. The company changed from a public company to a private company in 1945. John Gordon McDermid, son of J.K., took over the role of President in 1946. He remained in this role until his death in 1953.
Frank P. Leahy, who had worked as a Sales Manager for many years, became the company’s next President. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Leahy arranged multiple licensing agreements with various companies, such as Topps Chewing Gum Company, to manufacture and market brands to the Canadian market, which substantially increased the company’s sales. In 1958, the O-Pee-Chee Company began promoting trading cards on a regular basis. This first year included hockey and football cards. In the 1960s, the company produced cards for baseball, football, and hockey, as well as entertainment cards, such as the Beatle Bubble Gum cards.
In 1961, Frank Leahy purchased the company from the McDermid Estate. He remained President until his death in 1980. Leahy’s son-in-law, Gary Koreen was the owner and President of the company until it was purchased by Nestle Corporation in 1996. The O-Pee-Chee brand is still used in the trading card business through licensing agreements with Topps (1996-2004) and Upper Deck (since 2007).
O'Connor and Lancaster, Photographers, operated in London, Ontario during the 1870s. They also went by the name "Popular Photo Studio".
Founded by Dr. Crane in 1934, the club met weekly at the YMCA. It facilitated medical lectures and discussions on medical subjects for physicians in London and the surrounding area.
Sister Chrysostom Murphy was born Mary Theresa Murphy in Balderson, Ontario on June 8, 1923, to Hugh Murphy and Teresa Hagan. She served as an organist at Sacred Heart Parish in Lanark and at the Parish of Annunciation in Enterprise, Ontario from 1936-1949. She attended Perth Collegiate, and then Ottawa Teachers' College from 1942-1943 and received her Permanent Elementary Teacher’s certificate. She then taught and served as a principal at Lanark, Drummond, Enterprise and Tillsonburg. She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario, in July of 1950 and took the religious name Chrysostom. She received her habit January 3, 1951, and professed her first vows on January 3, 1952, and her final vows on January 3, 1956.
Sister Chrysostom taught at many schools in London from 1950-1953. She then served as both a principal and teacher in London schools from 1953-1962. In 1962, she received her B.A. from the University of Windsor, followed in 1965 by her Elementary Principal's certificate. She also obtained several teaching certificates in physical education, learning materials, guidance, and art. Sister Chrysostom moved to Windsor and again served as a principal and teacher until 1970. In June of 1970, she received her M.Ed. from the University of Toronto. She became the Director of Religious Education for the Kent County Roman Catholic Separate School Board in Chatham, serving in this position from 1970-1976. Following this, she returned to London in 1976 and worked as a teacher at Mount St. Joseph Academy until 1978.
Moving to Toronto, Sister Chrysostom took up the position of National Executive and Program Director of the Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood from 1978-1989. After her long tenure in this position, she returned to London, and became the audio-visual assistant at Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse. Sister Chrysostom was a member of the Canadian College of Teachers and was a lifelong learner, also taking training in photography, the Christopher Leadership course, and driving.
Sister Chrysostom Murphy celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 2001 and her Diamond Jubilee in 2011. She died November 4, 2015, in London, Ontario.
Mount Saint Joseph Academy was a school for girls directed by the Sisters of St. Joseph from 1950 to 1985. It was initially located at Sacred Heart Convent with a mere six students. In 1953, it moved to the newly built Mount St. Joseph convent. At this time, there were 26 students but by 1957, this number had grown to 105 students (80 girls resided at the school and 25 were day students). In 1958, the Academy was moved to a newly completed wing in the Mount St. Joseph complex.
The mission of the Academy was to provide secondary education for girls in which the Catholic faith was integrated into the curriculum and school life. Students had the option of being day students if they lived in the area or boarders if they came from far away. Students came from across Canada and 10%-15% came from other countries including the West Indies, Mexico, and Hong Kong.
Music was always an important part of life at the Academy, perhaps due to the influence of the St. Joseph’s School of Music which was also staffed by the Sisters. Students who wished to learn to play musical instruments did so on their own time, usually through the School of Music. They could also volunteer to join the Glee Club, one of the choirs, or the choral group called the Academy Singers which was well-known in the area.
In addition to regular curriculum classes, students were required to sign up for an activity for their enrichment and cultural development. These activities included photography, driving school, typing, fencing, drama, ballet, horseback riding, charm class, scripture study, physical education, crafts, and home economics club.
The Academy closed in 1985, and the wing that it occupied became a guest wing for relatives of hospitalized patients. It is estimated that over the course of 32 years, between 2,000 and 3,000 students received at least part of their high school education at the Academy. In 2005, the building was sold by the Sisters.
Julia Cecilia Moore was born on November 30, 1911, to Francis (Frank) Joseph Moore (d. 1938) and Julia Camilla Coughlin (d. 1965) in St. Thomas, Ontario. Active in the St. Thomas community growing up, Cecilia was a summer lifeguard at Alma College Pool, and served as recreational director at her alma mater, St. Joseph’s High School, during her college years in the 1930’s. Having obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and French from the University of Western Ontario, Cecilia went on to obtain a high school assistant certificate in English and History from the Ontario College of Education in Toronto. Cecilia entered the congregation in London, Ontario in 1935 at Sacred Heart Convent and received the habit and religious name of Sister Julia on August 25th, 1936. She professed her first vows on August 25th, 1938, and her final vows on August 25th, 1941 in the Chapel of Sacred Heart Convent. Sister Julia began teaching at St. Michael’s School in London, with teaching assignments at Roman Catholic high schools in St. Thomas and Sarnia, during which time she completed a Master of Arts Degree in French at Laval University. She eventually became the principal at Catholic Central High School in London. After two years as a principal, Sister Julia was elected General Superior in 1959. She held the position until 1971, then served four years as a General Councilor.
Her leadership had an impact on many aspects of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s involvement in education, health care, social work, retreat work and missions in Peru and Northern Canada. Mother Julia was also named Health Care Coordinator of the community, serving five hospitals and two chronic care hospitals. She was the Superior of the community of Sisters at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and a member of the pastoral care team, during which time she studied theology and scripture during a sabbatical year at Regina Mundi College in Rome. In 1979, Mother Julia returned to Mount St. Joseph where she directed retreats, and served as a spiritual director as well as a historian for the Congregation, and a consultant for the archives department. Mother Julia’s work, Beginnings in London Diocese 1868-1879, was presented to the Canadian Catholic Historical Society in 1978 and published by the London Roman Catholic School Board. Mother Julia died on October 5th, 1995.
David Mills was born 18 March 1831 in Orford Township, Upper Canada, to Nathaniel Mills and Mary Guggerty. David received his early education at the local school in Palmyra Corners. He became a teacher and from April 1856 to April 1865 he served as a school superintendent in Kent. He married Mary Jane Brown on 17 December 1860 in Chatham, Upper Canada, and had three sons and four daughters. During this time spent as superintendent he also farmed on his inherited part of the family farm at Palmyra. By 1864 he seems to have become active politically in the Reform party in Kent.
In 1865 he enrolled at the University of Michigan Law School from which he graduated in March of 1867. Mills attained his degree but made no formal application to the law society until 1878, and he was not called to bar until 1883. He first practiced law in the firm of Ephraim Jones Parke in London, Ontario and later practiced with one of his sons. In 1885 he was on the faculty of the newly opened London Law School as professor of international law and the rise of representative government. Five years later he became a Queen's Council lawyer.
After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1867, Mills returned to Canada and secured the Reform nomination for the federal constituency of Bothwell, which covered parts of Kent and Lambton counties. He would hold the seat until 1882 and again from 1884 to 1896. He introduced a motion to do away with the practice of dual representation at the federal level on 20 November 1867 and had it completely abolished in 1873. In 1872 he suggested that senators be properly elected or chosen directly by the provincial legislatures, and remained an advocate for the Senate to be rendered a better guardian of provincial interests. Mills told parliament in June 1869 that if ever it was "a question whether Federal or Local Legislatures should be destroyed," his view was that "the country would suffer far less by the destruction of the Federal power."
In 1872 he asked Oliver Mowat, the Liberal premier of Ontario from 1872 to 1896, to prepare a written defense of the province's placement of its disputed western and northern boundaries. The report was published in early 1873 and made Mills a key player in the boundary dispute. Mills was asked in January 1876 to chair the select committee established to investigate the economic depression and was appointed minister of the interior in October.
The defeat of the Mackenzie government in the election of 1878 put an end to Mills' ministerial duties and administrative ambitions. He retained Bothwell, however, making him one of the senior Ontario Liberals in the caucus. He was one of the leaders of the movement in 1880 to oust Mackenzie from the leadership position. Mills became one of Edward Blake's chief lieutenants when he became leader and coordinated the Liberal filibuster in 1885. He considered his speech of 1 April 1885 to be one of the finest speeches of his parliamentary career.
As editor-in-chief of the London Advertiser from 1882 to 1887, Mills built a case against the Macdonald government's administration of national affairs in a series of unsigned, but distinctive, editorials. He seems to have been particularly active as a journalist in 1883, when he was defeated in the election of 20 June 1882 and was forced to sit out a session of parliament while his case was considered by the courts. He won in February 1884 and returned to the commons. In 1886 he followed Blake in condemning the execution of Louis Riel and in 1889 he delivered a strong speech opposing disallowance, arguing that parliament had no business interfering with legislation that was clearly within provincial jurisdiction. In the 1890 debate over the use of French in legislature, Mills delivered an eloquent speech in defense of linguistic rights.
Mills lost Bothwell in the general election of 23 June 1896. Although summoned to the Senate in November 1896, he was not invited to join the cabinet. He consequently devoted more time to his law practice in London, continued his work at the University of Toronto, where he had been appointed in 1888 to teach constitutional and international law, and wrote and lectured on a wide variety of religious and political subjects. Laurier asked Mills to fill the vacancy left by Sir Oliver Mowat in 1897 and on 18 November he was sworn in as minister of justice and became government leader in the Senate.
In 1902 Mills arranged his own appointment as a puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, a move that was widely criticized. On 8 May 1903, Mills died suddenly of an internal haemorrhage, leaving behind his wife and six of his children.