JAMES AUSTIN

James Austin was born in Tandragee, County Armagh, Ireland on March 6, 1813. He was educated at the local schools and came with his family to York in 1923. His father, John Austin, apprenticed his son to a printer by the name of William Lyon Mackenzie.

James worked long hours during the day and also attended night school four nights per week for four years. He became interested in MacKenzie's Reform Party, but withdrew after the Rebellion in 1837 and moved to the U.S.A.

James returned to Canada seven years later and set up a wholesale and retail grocery business with Patrick Foy. This partnership lasted for 26 years until James Austin retired in 1870, hoping to enjoy his estate on Spadina Avenue.

His retirement was short-lived. He was persuaded by his friend Frank Smith to go into partnership in forming the Dominion Bank. The first meeting was on November 18, 1870 at which it was declared that James Austin and others would be associated with the bank. On January 10, 1871 another meeting was held in the Mechanic's Institute (Library). James Austin was elected President and Director of the Bank. One month later, February 1m 1871, the dominion bank opened its first branch at 40 King Street East, Toronto. The success of the Dominion Bank, (now Toronto Dominion), as a major banking concern can be attributed to James Austin's motto "You lead, let others follow."

James married Susan Bright in 1844. They had three sons and two daughters. He died on February 27, 1897.

JOSEPH BARBER

Joseph Barber was born in County Antrim, Ireland. He came to Canada with his wife and four sons on July 10th, 1812. He settled in Niagara near to what is now Fort Erie.

In 1825 William Lyon Mackenzie was urging the government to offer an incentive for someone to start a paper mill in Upper Canada. There was a $ 500.00 bounty to the first man to start a paper mill.

James Crook of Dundas, Ontario entered the race and hired the Barber family of Niagara to help him. He advertised in the paper for rags to be used in the manufacture of paper and won the race as the first manufacturer of paper in the province.

When Joseph barber died in 1831 his sons set off along the shore of Lake Ontario by boat and canoe until they came to what is now Port Credit. They followed the Credit River to what is now Georgetown where they established a foundry and a woolen mill. This foundry was to supply the ironwork for the Grand Trunk Railway that was built through Georgetown in 1852.

The four brothers William, Robert, Joseph and James decided it was time to expand their business. They purchased a paper mill in Streetsville and called it WILIAM BARBER & BROS. Manufacturers and Dealers, Georgetown. This was the first plant to ship paper by train to Toronto. James and Joseph rode this train as firemen in case of fire.

In 1869 after working together in various ventures for 32 years, the Barber Brothers went their separate ways.

Children were born to some of the Barber brothers but their story is that of Canada and a whole other area of investigation.

John Bassett

John Basset was born in Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland on February 7, 1886. He was educated at the Royal University of Ireland and came to Canada in 1909. He joined the staff of the Montreal Gazette. At the onset of World War1, John joined the Army and attained the rank of Major; The Belgian Government decorated him. At the end of the war he returned to the Gazette and became its Director at the age of 27 ,made Vice-president at age 34 and President at age 51; In 1956 he became Chairman of the Board He was the Gazette's "Parliamentary Correspondent" from 1911-1926 (with the exception of 1914-1918; He was also the owner and President of "The Sherbrooke Daily Record."

John married Margaret Avery of Ottawa in 1914; They had one son, John White Hughes Bassett born August 25, 1915.

John (Senior) was governor of Bishop's University from 1937-1950 and then became its Chancellor until his death on February 12, 1958.

His son, John Basset (Junior) purchased the Sherbrooke Daily Record "from his father in 1946; He later joined "The Toronto Telegram" as its Advertising Director, becoming its General Manager in 1951. He purchased "The Tely" with a group of associates in 1952; He served in world War Two and became a Major in the Canadian Forces overseas.

Later, John Bassett Junior gained control of Baton Broadcasting Inc. Toronto; He was chairman of Inland Publishing Co. Ltd., Chairman CKLW Radio (Windsor), CFGO Radio (Ottawa), CFQC-TV and CFQC Radio (Saskatoon), CFTO-TV (Toronto) and CTV-TV Ltd. (Toronto).

The Bassett family has made a tremendous contribution to the media in Canada.

HENRY BEATTY

Henry Beatty was born in Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland on May 1, 1834. His father and mother, James Beatty and Ann Haney brought hnery to Canada when he was nine years old. They settled in Thorold, Ontario.

Henry was educated in Thorold and in St. Catharines where he learned the hardware business. He spent three years in the U.S.A. from 1857 through 1860. He left the U.S.A. and went to Williams Creek in British Columbia where he mined for gold. A few years later he returned to Thorold and joined his Uncle and cousins in their shipping interests on the Great Lakes.

At that time they had three large ships running from Sarnia to the head of Lake Superior. The firm expanded and Henry resigned as manager in 1882. He later managed the Great Lakes Steamer Line for the C.P.R. until 1892.

Henry had married Harriet Minerva Powell and had one daughter and three sons.

He died in Toronto on April 10, 1914.

JOHN COULTER

John Coulter was born to Francis Coulter and Annie (Clerments) Coulter on February 12, 1889 in Belfast, Ireland. He attended Model School, the School of Art and Technology, Belfast and the School of Art and Technology, Manchester University, England.

John came to Canada in 1930 and on July 4, 1936 he married Olive Claire Primrose of Toronto; They had two daughters.

John was a playwright whose work gained honour and recognition in Canada and further afield; Here are a few titles of the myriad of plays and other writings, which are his.

"The House in he Quiet Glen" 1937 winner of The Dominion Drama festival and the Bessborough Trophy.

"Transit through Fire" and "Deirdre of the Sorrows", two operas performed by the C.B.C. in 1944.

"The Drums Are Out" 1947 winner of the prize for best play written by a Canadian at Dominion festival.

In 1951 CBC aired "Riel" and in 1961 CBC-TV presented it.

The Canadian Opera Company presented "Deirdre" a stage version of "Deirdre of the Sorrows" at the O'Keefe Centre, Toronto in 1967.

John Coulter's critical essays and articles on books, plays and painting have appeared in magazines and journal in Canada and have been featured in radio broadcasts also He has been a hard worker for the arts, particularly drama.

His worked on many committees and other bodies relating to the arts has made a very substantial addition to the arts in Canada; When he died in the Mid 1970's he had achieved a soils place in the history of the Arts in Canada.

John Willoughby Crawford

Born in Manorhamilton, County Cavan, Ireland in May 1817; He was the son of George Crawford.The family came to Canada in 1874 and settled in York and John was educated at Upper Canada College and then studied law. He was called to the Bar in 1839; He was active in the military and became Lieutenant Colonel of Militia.

As to his business ventures, he became President of the Royal Canadian Bank, also President of the Toronto and Nipissing Railway Company.John was interested in politics and sat for East Toronto in the Legislative assembly of United Canada from 1861-1863; After Confederation he sat in the House of Commons, representing South Leeds, from 1867-1872, and West Toronto 1872-1873 In 1873 he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and held that position until his death at Government house, Toronto on May 13, 1875. Married to Helen Sherwood they had one son and five daughters.

Timothy Eaton

Timothy Eaton is perhaps the best-known name among this little collection of verbal snapshots He was born in Portglenone, Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland, in 1834; He received his education at the National school and he spent one year at the Academy in Ballymena; It is believed that while at the Academy, young timothy experimented with smoking; He became violently ill and never smoked again and later in life he refused to sell tobacco in his store.

Timothy left school at 14 and started to work for Mr. William Smith, his mother's cousin.Mr. Smith owned a store in Portglenone and sold a variety of goods. Mrs. Eaton paid Mr. Smith a one hundred-pound surety bond that Timothy would stay with him for five years. Smith treated young Eaton very shabbily, almost brutally, but his young second cousin later said he had learned much from his rather difficult position.

Timothy Eaton reached Canadian shores in 1854 and stayed in Ottawa for about 2 years. He then moved to Georgetown where his sister Margaret (Mrs. Robert Reed) lived. Timothy got a job as a clerk and bookkeeper in a store in Glen William, just north of Georgetown. A short while later he, together with his brother James and his sister Sarah, moved to Kirkton, near London, Ontario and opened his first store in Canada. In 1862 Timothy married Margaret Beattie form Woodstock, Ontario.

Shades of his Ulster experience seemed to be very evident, especially so in Timothy's hatred of haggling and bartering and arguing. This became a growing problem in London, so, together with his wife, he purchased the premises of a Mr. Jennings on Queen Street, Toronto for $6,500.00, which included all fixtures and stock. The date was December 9, 1869.

In 1884 Timothy decided to take his business out into the country by means of a printed catalogue, which first appeared in 1884. This catalogue was invaluable as a means of advertising, but it also had a secondary use teaching English as a Second language to immigrants. The pictures and the printing together helped them learn English.

Timothy was at the center of the organization of the first Santa Clause parade in Toronto in 1905 and this event has been continued to this day.

Timothy Eaton died at his Toronto home on January 31, 1907, at the age of 73 .He had three sons, one of whom, John, became the President of Eaton's Department Store.

MALACHY GRANT

Malachy Grant was born in Newry, County Down, Ireland to Liam and Moira (McSherry) Grant on July 24, 1926. He was educated at St. Mary's College, Dundalk and at Bolton institute of technology in Dublin. After graduating from Bolton he was engaged in many large projects in the building trade. He married Marie Celine Kavanagh on November 23, 1952; They have two sons and one daughter.

The Grant family came to Canada on 1956 and settled in Montreal where Malachy continued his studies at McGill University. He was a force behind the planning and developing Expo '67 in Montreal. Also the National Arts Centre in St. John's Newfoundland.

Mr. Grant had his own consulting firm in Montreal and was asked to come to Toronto to design and construct the proposed $1.5 billion Metro Centre Development Project. In the middle of that project, C.B.C. was planning to build a giant communications tower and from this the idea for the C.N. Tower was born.

In 1972 Malachy Grant settled on the design for the present structure. To ensure that it was foolproof he checked out every proposal with the world's leading construction designers. To prove the foundation safe he sent soil and geological experts down in special cages to 100' under the construction site to analyze the bedrock. The Tower was begun in 1973 and in June 1976 the C.N. Tower was opened. When the last section of the Tower was installed, Malachy Grant was there with the chairman of The Guinness Book of World Records who confirmed it to be the tallest freestanding structure in the world, 1815 ft. 5 in.

Mr. Grant is President of Malachy Grant Associates and a member of The Canadian Institute of Quality Surveyors and the Project Management Institute among other prestigious associations.

James O'Connor Harkin

Jim Harkin was born on September 17, 1904 in Ballybofey, County Donegal, Ireland to Patrick and Bridget Harkin. Jim was educated at The Glasgow Royal Academy and was employed by British Railways for over 28 years. Jim married Mary Ann Cairns on August 10, 1928 in Glasgow, Scotland; They have four children.

The Harkin family came to Toronto, Canada in 1953 and later, in 1955, moved to Milton, Ontario. In 1956 Jim Harkin felt the need for a parish credit union so he planned and researched, and soon the Holy Rosary Parish (Milton) Credit Union was founded. The date was October 28, 1957 and James O'C. Harkin was the first President.

On January 10, 1958, the Credit Union opened for the first time in a classroom at holy Rosary School; Fifty-one people applied for membership and at the end of the first year, shares were $7,926.00. In 1978 the Credit Union amalgamated with the other local Credit Unions to form the Halton Community Credit Union with assets exceeding $16,000,000.00 and branches in Milton, Oakville and Georgetown; For most of his working life in Canada Jim Harkin worked at AVRO and as a Sheriff's deputy in the Halton Region County Court House, Milton, Ontario

David Kinnear

Born in County Down, Ireland , in 1909, David Kinnear received his education at the Belfast Business College. At the age of 14 he came to Canada and gained employment with the T. Eaton Co. Ltd.

On June 2,1937 David married Millicent Wilson of Hamilton, Ontario; They have two sons.

David Kinnear was appointed Director of the T. Eaton Co. in 1960, vice-president 1963, Chief Executive Officer 1965 and Chairman of the Board 1969. He retired from T. Eaton Co. in May 1973.

On June 1st, 1973 he was appointed Vice-Chairman, Bank of Montreal, and was a vice-president and Director of Advertising. LePage.

Mr. Kinnear served as Director and Trustee of many companies; He retired and lives in Toronto, Ontario.

JOHN JOSEPH LYNCH

John Joseph Lynch was born February 6, 1816 near Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland. He was educated at the college of Castleknock, Ireland and at the seminary of St. Lazier, Paris, being ordained to the priesthood in 1843.

John served as priest in Ireland and America, then in 1859 he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop to Bishop Charbonnel of Toronto, whom he succeeded in the following year. He was the force behind the separate school Bill in 1863.

In 1870, Lynch was consecrated the first Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto and retained that position until his death. He worked tirelessly for the foundation of the charitable Institution.

John Lynch died on May 12, 1888, and the following was written in one of the local newspapers at that time:

"And we, not of his fold, we too have known his kindly Irish heart, And in his people's sorrow claim a part, When praise is told."

JOHN MACOUN

John Macoun was born in Magheralin, County Down, Ireland on April 17, 1832.

He came to Canada in 1850 and became a farmer. At this time he acquired a practical knowledge of geology and botany and in 1866 he was appointed Professor of Botany and Geology at Albert College, Belleville, Ontario.

When Sir Sandford Fleming set off on his expedition to the Pacific in 1872, John Macoun was included as part of the survey team. In 1879 the Canadian Government appointed him Explorer for the North west territories.

In 1882 he became Botanist to the Geological Survey of Canada. For the next fifteen years he was Naturalist and Assistant Director to the Survey.

Macoun published several catalogues of Canadian Plants and Birds and wrote on "The Forests of Canada and their Distribution."(Ottawa 1895).

John Macoun died in Ottawa on June 18, 1920 and the Ottawa Field Naturalist's Club published his autobiography in 1922. Over 100,000 of his collection of plants are housed in the National Herbarium in Ottawa.

In 1862 he married Helen Terrill. They had two sons and three daughters. The elder son James Melville Macoun was appointed Biologist to the Geological Survey and was created C.M.G. for his work in seal fisheries explorations in the Bering Sea; the younger son William Tyrrel Macoun became Dominion horticulturalist at the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa.

ROBERT McLAUGHLIN

Robert McLaughlin, the son of John McLaughlin who hailed form Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland, was born in Tyrone, Ireland. He came to Canada in 1832 and settled in Tyrone, Durham County, Ontario where he began manufacturing sleighs and wagons. In 1867 he moved to Enniskillen, Ontario and began making good quality carriages. Business boomed, so, seeking larger premises he moved to Ottawa in 1876.

McLaughlin married Mary Smith of Enniskillen, Ontario in 1866. They had three sons, Robert Samuel (Colonel Sam), George, and John.

Robert Samuel.

"Col. Sam" as he was affectionately known, was born in 1871 in Enniskillen. He worked in his father's factory as an upholsterer. When the first motor cars appeared in Ontario it was Sam who persuaded his father to switch to car production.

Robert Samuel (Colonel Sam) went on to found the McLaughlin Car Company in 1907. He was the company's President. in 1918 when he sold his company to general Motors Corporation. Later Colonel Sam was named Company President of G.M.C. In 1945 he became Chairman of the Board of G.M.C.

"Col. Sam" made many gifts to this Province which he loved most dearly. He made many donations to Queen's university. He built a public Library in Oshawa. He added The McLaughlin Planetarium to the Royal Ontario Museum. His gift of the Planetarium contained only one stipulation, "that it be the best in the world."

Robert Samuel married Louise Mowbray in 1898. They had five daughters. He died on January 3, 1971 at the age of 100.

John McLaughlin graduated from the University of Toronto in 1885 with a Gold Medal in Pharmacy. Soda water was the first soft drink invented. It was made from a mixture of baking soda, vinegar and water. It was sold in syphons and at soda fountains in drug stores.

John knew how unpalatable this mixture was and set about experimenting with making it taste better and make it more easily transported also. He started to make his own flavoring extracts and used carbonated plain water. He sold his first creations to the drug stores.

John wanted to widen the market for his product had to package it so that it could be taken home and enjoyed all over Canada. He experimented and finally came up with the idea of mass bottling.

He perfected a beverage that was dark in colour with a strong ginger flavour and called it "McLaughlin's Belfast-Style ginger Ale."

Later he was in France and sampled some French wines and champagnes. He liked the clarity, the sparkle and the dryness of these and on his return invented, "Canada Dry Ginger Ale, the Champagne of Ginger Ales." He introduced it to a grateful people in 1907.

John McLaughlin died in 1914. The Company he founded was taken over by Sam and George and the product was introduced into the U.S.A. Today, Canada Dry products are sold in 90 countries on six continents.

Just think, all this from a Tyrone man with a vision.

WILLIAM McMASTER

William McMaster was born on December 24, 1811 in County Tyrone, Ireland. His father, also William McMaster, was a linen merchant.

When young, McMaster came to York (Toronto) in 1833 and it's not surprising that he set up a dry goods store which prospered under the name "William McMaster & Nephews."

McMaster married Mary Henderson of New York in 1851, and later he married a widow, Susan Moulton in 1871. There were no children of either union. We may surmise that this was the reason for using the "and Nephews" in his business title.

In 1862, William McMaster was elected Representative of Midland in the Legislative Council of United Canada. He was continually re-elected until in 1867, when Sir John A. MacDonald called him to The Senate.

It was in this same year that he, and a number of other businessmen, formed the Canadian Bank of Commerce. He was elected its first President and held the position until he retired in 1876.

A life long Baptist, Senator McMaster's greatest claim to fame was by being instrumental in founding McMaster University as a theological and divinity school for Baptist students for the ministry. At his death in 1887, the bulk of his estate was left to McMaster University. The University that bears his name is a world leader in many areas, chiefly medical and scientific research. In this way, McMaster's contribution to his own day and to ours brings honour to an Ulsterman of faith and vision.

GEORGE RICHARDSON

George Richardson was born August 1, 1831 at Derrylane, Killeshandra, Co.Cavan, the youngest son of John and Anne Richardson. His father was a linen weaver. Derrylane, where the Richardsons resided, is approximately four miles from Killeshandra, and this probably explains why the date of baptism in the baptismal register for the family's lates addition is given as July 19, 1834, in the parish of Killeshandra, as in those days not unusually, it would have been a difficult undertaking to bring an infant that distance to church.

Little else is known about George Richardson in the intervening years, but he is known to have enlisted in the 34th Regiment of Foot in 1855, having volunteered from the Cavan Militia, and this was to be the beginning of a chequered army career. Within two years, he blotted his copybook somewhat, and is recorded as having deserted in Edinburgh on June 23, 1857, for reasons unknown, before reporting back to his regiment on September 18, and subsequently serving three months in Colchester for his troubles.

Shortly afterwards, the 34th Regiment was posted to India, where it took a glorious part in suppressing the Indian Mutiny, and it was during this time near Cawnpore, on April 27, 1859, that Richardson put his past behind him and went on to win the Victoria Cross in hand to hand combat. The London Gazette of November 11, 1859, in which the situation is chronicled, gives the following fascinating account of his actions.

"Richardson did, despite the fact that his arm was broken by a rifle bullet, and leg smashed by a sabre, rush to the aid of his officer, Lt. Laurie, was attacked by six natives, and that, crippled as he was, succeeded in killing five, and the sixth fled."

It was also said of Richardson that he was, on three other occasions during the mutiny, recommended for the Victoria Cross and that he also refused a commission. George Richardson was invalided home on the S.S. Startled Fawn, and was invested with his V.C. by Queen Victoria on August 11, 1860, at a ceremony in London's Hyde Park. He returned home to Ireland after his discharge from the Army, and it was only then that he joined the Orange Order, in 1861, quite probably in Killeshandra, where his family still lived, and where Orange Lodges flourished, and still exist today.

Richardson emigrated to Canada in 1862, and worked for a while as a coachman in Montreal. In 1865, when it was thought that the Fenians would invade Canada, Richardson enlisted in one of three companies organized with the Prince of Wales Royal Rifles, being promoted to sergeant. He later homesteaded on land granted by the Ontario Government for his service at Stratton, where he lived with his wife Elizabeth. Richardson is known to have been a member of Stratton LOL No. 351 at this time, which although Ontario based, due to its geographical isolation west of Thunder Bay, came under the jurisdiction of the GOL of Manitoba.

In 1916, the Richardson's home caught fire and George, then aged 85, picked up his unconscious wife, and carried her to thegarden, but sadly she died of shock, and he partially lost the sight of one eye as a result of burns, even his magnificent beard was singed. Richardson placed Canada's wreath on the tomb of the American Unknown Warrior at Washington in 1921, and was a great personal friend of Sam Hughes, the Canadian Minister of Defence, who took a personal and fraternal interest in Richardson because of his tremendous war record and commitment to Orangeism.

Richardson was introduced to Princes, Lords and Presidents in his time, and met the Prince of Wales when the latter was in Toronto in 1920. He died at the age of 92, of pneumonia, in the Westminster Hospital, London, Ontario, on January 28, 1923.

The Orange Order was officially represented at the funeral by Hon. W.D. McPherson, M.P., K.C., Grand Master of Canada. He was laid to rest in the veterans section [Plot 2751] of Prospect Cemetery in Toronto, on February 1, with full military honours.

In November, 1933, long after his death, there was an uproar in Toronto when it was discovered that his grave was only marked by a cement marker, but the Canadian Legion undertook to have a more suitable memorial erected. Richardson's only known relatives in Canada at the time were two grand nephews, J.W. and Albert Kippax, and this could explain why his Victoria Cross was eventually sold at auction to a private collector in 1975.