National Network for Equitable Library Service

Redpath, today a household name for sugar in Canada, has its roots in the story of an enterprising Scots immigrant, initially a stone mason and later a building contractor during the boom days of Montreal's growth from a small provincial centre to a major North American city. In 1854, the ever-energetic John Redpath, by then a self-made millionaire in his late fifties, launched a new career as an industrialist. With his son, Peter, and the gifted George Alexander Drummond as manager, he established Canada's first successful sugar refinery.

George Mercer Dawson was indeed no ordinary man. Born in 1849, son of the first Principal of McGill University, Dawson defied health circumstances that would have defeated many people and went on to become one of our most exceptional Canadians.As a geologist in the British North American Boundary Commission between Canada and the U.S.A.

The private and public lives of James David Edgar and Matilda Ridout Edgar symbolized the increasingly complex nature of Toronto society as older generations gradually gave way to a new generation of "outsiders" seeking fame and prominence.James David Edgar (1841-1899), a self-made man, born to proud though impoverished Scottish-immigrant parents in Quebec, became a lawyer, an author, a railway promoter, an M.P. and ultimately speaker of the House of Commons in Ottawa.

Considered one of the finest of Canada’s early poets, the raw intellect and emotional appeal of Isabella Valancy Crawford’s poetry drew author Elizabeth McNeill Galvin on a personal journey that traced Isabella’s life which began in Dublin, Ireland, and ended in Toronto, Canada.Isabella emigrated to Canada with her family around the year of 1858. After settling first in Paisley, Ontario, the family later lived in Lakefield and Peterborough. As a young woman, Isabella became fascinated by backwoods life and Indian legends.

How did Florence Nightingale and Sir Alexander Mackenzie become part of the same family history? And how does Captain Booty Graves fit into the picture? Who was the well-respected doctor in London, Ontario, son of a Northwest partner and Metis mother, who married a grandniece of a British aristocrat? Who was the first Newfoundlander, the grandson of a merchant seaman, to become a member of the federal government?This is very much a Canadian story.

From his earliest days in Winnipeg and throughout his varied and flamboyant career as a journalist and public relations manager, Ed Parker distinguished himself as a dynamic, creative, energetic innovator. These memoirs trace the eventful life of a man determined to face every challenge with a fresh idea. Readers will delight in his association with the world-renowned Canadian geologist and "mine finder" Dr. Franc Joubin, and the colourful, unpredictable American mining promoter Joseph H.

Fearing an American invasion of Upper Canada, John Graves Simcoe had Fort York built in 1793 as an emergency defensive measure. That act became the first step in the founding of modern Toronto. Twenty years later, the Fort was the scene of the bloody Battle of York in which the famous American explorer, Zebulon Pike, died leading U.S. forces against the Fort’s outnumbered Canadian, British and Aboriginal defenders. The Americans won this battle – their first major victory in the War of 1812 – and torched the province’s public buildings during a six-day occupation.

Clearly the favourite character of Canada’s overseas troops during World War II, "Herbie" had a penchant for getting into some of the most bizarre predicaments imaginable. With feet that generally led to trouble and a nose like a disillusioned banana, Herbie provided Canadian soldiers with a daily ration of laughter at a time when humour was often at a premium. No figure before or since boosted so effectively the spirit of Canadians overseas.As J.D. MacFarlane, Editor of The Maple Leaf, stated so aptly: "War can be funny as hell.

Growing Up in the Oil Patch chronicles the adventures and achievements of some of the most colourful, ambitious people of their time: statesmen, scoundrels, visionaries and developers. Participants all in the growing oil patch!The author presents a highly readable, informative and entertaining account of the early years in the development of Canada’s gas and oil industry.

An exceptional man, George Mercer Dawson (1849-1901) a tiny hunchback, may have contributed more than any other person to early knowledge of the geology, biology and ethnology of Canada's Northwest. Possessed of a brilliant mind, boundless enthusiasm, an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and a great love of the land, he made some of the most epic exploratory journeys in Canadian history. His maps and reports remain invaluable reference sources. Both Dawson City and Dawson Creek are named in his honour. This book tells the story of some of his life experiences and adventures.