1845-1927 Born in Ireland, McGee was the longest-serving Clerk of the Privy Council, filling the position for almost 25 years exactly, from May 20, 1882, to May 5, 1907. His full title was Clerk of the Privy Council, Custodian of … Read More
1838-1920 Courtney served as Deputy Minister of Finance for 28 years between 1878 and 1906. In 1908, his Royal Commission on public service reform recommended the introduction of competitive exams for new hires to create a non-partisan, merit-based civil service. … Read More
1829-1898 Lawyer, coroner, soldier, senator (for less than a year: he resigned to join the civil service) and Deputy- Minister of Militia and Defence (1875 to 1898), Panet was the grand-son of the first speaker of the Legislative Assembly of … Read More
Champion of French language rights, Genest led the fight against the Ontario government’s attempt to restrict French language education in the early years of the 20th Century. Genest lived at several addresses in Sandy Hill, including 646 Cumberland St. … Read More
A talented leader, fundraiser, organizer and social activist, Almanda Marchand (née Walker) founded the Fédération des femmes canadiennes françaises (FFCF) in 1914 and ran the organization as executive director until 1946. Initially launched to support the war effort, the Federation … Read More
1885-1940 Lillian Freiman was a tireless fundraiser and organizer whose charitable works touched many people in Ottawa and across the country. She was the most influential Jewish Canadian woman of her generation. Lillian grew up as the fifth … Read More
1896-1983 A vocal defender of francophone rights outside Quebec, Marion is best known for his research on French Canadian literature. Marion grew up at 113 College St., now the corner of Louis-Pasteur Pvt. and Marie-Curie Pvt. On what is now … Read More
1913 – 1986 Elizabeth Smart is the author of the highly acclaimed novel of “prose poetry” By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept published in London in 1945. Born and raised in Ottawa, Smart spent most of her … Read More
1863 – 1927 A journalist, Scott wrote about turn of the century Ottawa society under various pseudonyms. Sandra Gwynn relied extensively on Scott’s reporting in writing The Private Capital. Agnes Scott was the daughter of Richard W. Scott’s youngest brother, … Read More
1887-1977 Turcot is remembered as one of Ontario’s most prominent francophone writers, the author of a novel, poems and several collections of short stories, and was a pioneer in collecting and publishing Franco-Ontarian folk tales. From about 1924 to … Read More