Browse "People"

William (Jervis) Stevens, pianist, teacher (born 6 January 1921 in ​Montréal, ​QC, of American parents; died 1997). B.Mus. (McGill) 1943.

William Stewart Wallace, librarian, editor, historian (born 23 June 1884 in Georgetown, ON; died 11 March 1970 in Toronto, ON).

William Thomas, architect, engineer, surveyor (born 1799 in Suffolk, England; died 26 December 1860 in Toronto, ON).

William Thomas Aikins, surgeon, educator (b at Toronto Township, Upper Canada 4 June 1827; d at Toronto 25 May 1897). The son of Protestant Irish immigrants, he studied at John ROLPH's Toronto School of Medicine and Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia.

William Townsend, painter (b at London, Eng 23 Feb 1909; d at Banff, Alta 4 July 1973). He studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, London (1926-30) and then worked in England as a painter and book illustrator.

William Tritt. Pianist, teacher, b Pointe-Claire (Montreal) 27 Dec 1951, d Montreal 23 Oct 1992; B MUS (Montreal) 1969, M MUS (Montreal) 1969.

Thomas's ecclesiastical works include St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Ottawa (1872-74); St James Memorial, Kemptville, Ontario (1873); St John's Anglican Church, Truro, Nova Scotia (1873-81); and the Church of St John the Evangelist (with Frank Darling), Montréal (1879-80).

William Wakeham, physician, public servant (b at Québec 30 Nov 1844; d at Gaspé, Qué 20 May 1915). William Wakeham was educated at the School of Military Instruction of Québec and McGill College in Montréal, graduating with a medical degree in 1866.

William Walker Hamilton Gunn, ornithologist, ecologist (b at Toronto 18 Mar 1913; d at Lindsay, Ont 15 Oct 1984). His research on bird migration and behaviour has been applied effectively to ecological management and public education.

William Warren Baldwin, doctor, lawyer, politician (b at Knockmore, Ire 25 Apr 1775; d at Toronto 8 Jan 1844). He arrived in Upper Canada in 1799, eventually settling at York [Toronto]. Urbane, talented and in due course wealthy, Baldwin established a comfortable and distinguished law practice.

William Wasborough Foster, military officer, public servant, mountaineer (b at Bristol, Eng 1875; d at Vancouver 2 Dec 1954). Energetic, capable and good-humoured, Foster immigrated to Canada in 1894 to work for the CPR before becoming BC's deputy minister of public works in 1910.

William (James) Waterhouse. Violinist, teacher, born Winnipeg 15 Aug 1917, died Saint-Boniface, Man. 22 Nov 2003; LAB (London) 1933, B MUS (Boston) 1950, M MUS (Boston) 1950, honorary RAM 1976. He began his musical training at four with his father, John, and Bernard Naylor.

William Watson, "Whipper Billy," professional wrestler (b at Toronto 25 June 1915; d at Orlando, Fla 4 Feb 1990). It is claimed that he won 99% of his 6300 matches during a 30-year career. He was popular in the Toronto area and frequently drew capacity crowds.

William Wilfred Campbell, rector, civil servant, novelist, poet (b at Berlin [Kitchener], Canada W 1 June 1858?; d at Ottawa 1 Jan 1918).

William Wilkie, merchant, radical (b at Halifax c 1795; d unknown). The son of a sea captain, Wilkie went into business just as the War of 1812 ended. Peacetime Halifax experienced acute economic dislocation and, provoked by slumping trade and rising taxes, Wilkie turned to protest.

William Wrightson Eustace (W.W.E.) Ross, poet, geophysicist (b at Peterborough, Ont, 14 Jun 1894; d at Toronto, 26 Aug 1966). W.W.E. Ross grew up in Pembroke, Ontario and later attended the UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO where he earned his degree in geophysics (1914).

William Yellowhead, or Musquakie, Ojibwa chief (d at the Rama Reserve, Lk Simcoe, Canada W 11 Jan 1864). During the WAR OF 1812 Yellowhead, then in his thirties or forties, fought for the British. He had his jaw shattered by a musket ball.

Willie Adams, Inuk, Liberal senator, businessman, electrician (born 22 June 1934 in Kuujjuaq [then Fort Chimo] in Nunavik, Quebec). As Canada’s first Inuit senator, Adams frequently sought greater federal government support for his people in education, health care, infrastructure, land claims, fishery allocations and affordable food, housing and fuel. He was actively involved in the creation of Nunavut and supported Inuit language rights, art and culture, and traditional hunting methods such as sealing.

William T. (Willie) deWit, boxer, lawyer, judge (born 13 June 1961 in Three Hills, AB).

William Lawrence “Willie” Dunn (a.k.a. Roha’tiio, meaning “his voice is beautiful”) musician, filmmaker (born 14 August 1941 in Montreal, QC; died 5 August 2013 in Ottawa, ON). Willie Dunn was a folk musician of Mi’kmaq-Scottish origin. He was also a leading member of the Indian Film Crew, an all-Indigenous film production unit established by the National Film Board in 1968.