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Daniel G. Harris was in the British Government service between 1940 and 1946. After returning to Canada he served as a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, and was instrumental in the founding of maritime museums in Vancouver and Kingston. He has lectured widely on Canadian maritime archaeology in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, and on Scandinavian nautical subjects throughout Canada.

Charles J. Gauthier (1927 - ) was a Major General and Associate Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) with the Department of National Defence (DND) from 1980 to 1982. He was born in North Bay, Ontario and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1950. After various appointments, in 1957 Gauthier was posted as a staff officer in Tirer, West Germany. Returning to Canada in 1960, Gauthier served RCAF Station Uplands before commanding the Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre in Montreal. He spent a year at Staff College in Toronto before returning to Europe in 1968 as the Executive Assistant to the Commander of 1 Air Division. In 1973, Gauthier became Director of Policy Co-ordination and Review and, the next year, Acting Director General, Departmental Administrative Services. In 1975, he was appointed Commander of Canadian Forces Base Ottawa - a posting held until his promotion to Brigadier General and appointment as Director General Departmental Administrative Services in 1977. It was in 1980 that he was promoted Major General and appointed Associate ADM (Policy) and Chief of Evaluation. Retiring from the Forces in 1982, Gauthier became the Director General Executive Secretariat, a civilian position which he held until October 1989. In October 1989, General Gauthier began a special project, under the auspices of the Directorate of History, to research and document the formulation of Canadian defence policy from 1970 to 1990. This fonds, including the narratives listed as files 53-60, resulted from the project.

Alexander Beaufort Fraser Fraser-Harris served with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during 1946-1965 and attained the rank of Commodore. Born on 16 November 1916 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he was educated in Eastbourne, England and received a Commonwealth Scholarship to the Royal Naval College Dartmouth in 1930 at the age of 13. He obtained his early training with the Royal Navy and served as Midshipman in Repulse and destroyer Westcott, taking part in the International Patrol during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. In 1939, he engaged in convoy patrols, anti-submarine and air defence over the North Sea. Promoted Lieutenant in February, he completed Flying Training and was awarded wings in April. In 1940, he participated in raids over Norway before being appointed to 759 Fighter Training Squadron as instructor. Promoted to Flight Commander in 1941 and Chief Flying Instructor & Commander Flying in 1944, he then transferred to the RCN in 1946, taking on the position of Commanding Officer of No.1 Training Air Group. Promoted to Commander in 1948 and to Captain in 1954, he was appointed Director of Naval Aviation at the Headquarters in Ottawa. In December 1956, he was assigned to the United Nations force for peacekeeping duty in the Suez War Zone and designated as Naval Deputy to General Burns, United Nations Commander. In July 1957, he joined the staff of the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic as Assistant Director Plans of Annual Review. He was promoted Commodore and appointed Assistant Chief of Staff (Air & Warfare) in October 1962 before being honorably released in April 1965.

Albert Victor Alexander (1885-1965) was the First Lord of the Admiralty during the Second World War. Born at Weston-Super-Mare, England, he began a career in educational administration in 1898, which was to last until 1920. In the general election of 1922 he was returned as the Labour and Co-operative Party candidate in the Hillsborough division of Sheffield. He held the seat, except for a brief period (1931-1935) until 1950. When the Labour Party won the 1929 general election, Alexander was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. His most important work lay in the negotiation of the London Naval Treaty signed in 1930. Alexander lost his seat in 1931, but was returned in 1935 and became the principal Opposition spokesman on naval affairs. He was then re-appointed as First Lord of the Admiralty in 1940 when Churchill formed his wartime Government. After the war he was replaced as First Lord during the short caretaker Government which preceded the general election of 1945, but he returned to the Admiralty for his third term of office as First Lord when the Labour Party emerged victorious. In December 1946 Alexander was appointed as first minister of the new Department of Defence. The general election of 1950 signaled the end of Alexander's career as a departmental minister. He became chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and when Labour went out of office in 1951 he became deputy leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords. In 1950 he was created a viscount, and in 1963, an earl. Alexander died in London.

James Fownes Somerville (1882-1949) served with the Royal Navy and was Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Fleet during the Second World War. Born at Weybridge, Surrey, he joined the Britannia as a naval cadet in 1897, went to sea the next year, and became a lieutenant in 1904. He was promoted to commander in 1915 and to captain in 1921. He then became flag captain, and from 1925 to 1927 was director of the signal department at the Admiralty. From 1929 to 1931 Somerville was one of the directing staff at the Imperial Defence College. A Rear-Admiral in 1933, and a Vice-Admiral in 1937, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief in 1938 in East Indies. The next year he was invalided home for illness. Recalled to the navy on the outbreak of war in 1939, Somerville was engaged with the development and production of radar. He was then selected to command Force H at Gibraltr. In March 1942 after the entry of Japan into the war, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Eastern Fleet. In October 1944 Somerville was sent to Washington as head of the British Admiralty delegation. Promoted to Admiral of the fleet in 1945, he remained in Washington until the end of the year. He died in Somerset.

Alfred Gunther Steiger (1900-1972) worked as a civil servant in the Canadian Army Historical Section and made a unique contribution to the Canadian Army's official histories as an expert on German military documents. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Steiger studied at the Universities of Berne and Zurich without taking a degree. He came to Canada in 1926 and enlisted in 1940 with the Victoria Rifles of Canada as a private. In 1944 he was transferred to the Canadian Intelligence Corps as a warrant officer and was commissioned later that year. He began work with the Historical Section of the general Staff in 1946, being promoted captain shortly afterwards. He was discharged from the army in 1947 but remained in the Historical Section as a civil servant. After his retirement in 1966 he continued to work with the new Directorate of History on a personal-contract basis until his death in 1972.

Albert Fish was a real estate developer and appraiser in Guelph and a former member of Parliament. Born in Preston, England, Mr. Fish served in the Royal Air Force and emigrated to Canada in 1949 with his wife and eldest child. He settled in Guelph and began work in real estate in 1954.

In 1957, he opened Albert Fish Real Estate Limited. As an active member of the real estate community, Albert Fish became president of the Guelph Real Estate Board in 1962. He served as regional vice-president of the Ontario Real Estate Association from 1964 to 1965 and in 1969 became president of the association. In 1973, he became president of the Canadian Real Estate Association.

In the federal election of May 1979, Albert Fish was elected as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Guelph and served for several months in the government of Prime Minister Joe Clark. He was defeated in the February 1980 federal election that followed the downfall of the Clark government.

In 1986, Albert Fish was elected president of the International Real Estate Federation, having served as president of the association's Canadian chapter in 1978-1979. He continued with his consulting and appraisal work during this time. He died April 5, 2006 at 83 years of age.

Robert Alan McLean Stewart, a Guelph businessman, local historian, and collector, was born in Guelph, Ontario on July 1, 1916 and died in Guelph in January 2000. Except for a period overseas during World War II, he lived his entire life in Guelph. Stewart was unmarried.

Stewart received his education from Miss Hayward's Private School (1921-1922), Guelph Public Schools (1923-1929), and Appleby College in Oakville (1929-1934). Stewart started working for his father at Stewart Lumber Limited as a clerk in 1934, was made Vice-President in 1937 and President in 1939 after his father's death. Stewart ran the family lumber business until 1968 when it went into voluntary liquidation. Stewart also served in the Royal Canadian Air Force between May 1942 and June 1945, with a year in Britain where he served with Training Command.

Stewart was very involved with the local history community as a member of historical societies and as a contributor to Guelph's written heritage. He authored and published a two volume "A Picture History of Guelph 1827-1978". Stewart also collected, copied and preserved historical photographs and documents from many sources.

Stewart was involved in many other associations such as the Stewart Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Canadian Air Force Association, the Historical Automobile Association of Canada, the UEL Association of Canada, and the Royal Canadian Legion. He was also interested in flying, travel, genealogy, electric trains, and cooking.

Frances K. Smith is Curator Emeritus of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston, Ontario. She is the author of Daniel Fowler: 1810-1894.

The Lesslie family originated in Dundee, Scotland, where Edward Lesslie was born in May 1765. He married Grace (Grizel) Watson on August 13, 1798 in Dundee. Although his father was a sailor, Edward Lesslie established himself as a bookseller and printers' ink maker in Dundee. He is described in the Scottish Book Trade Index as a leader of the advanced radicals who narrowly escaped prosecution for sedition. Further details about this part of his life are unknown. What is known is that by 1819 he decided to emigrate to Canada with his family. He sent his son John in 1820 with a supply of goods to open a store. Upon arrival, John chose York (Toronto) and, together with his travelling companion, William Lyon Mackenzie, established a business in the book and drug trade. They later opened a store in Dundas, which, in addition to drugs and books, dealt in a variety of other merchandise. In 1822, ill health prevented the emigration of the remaining family so Edward sent his sons James and Charles, and daughter Grace on a chartered brig loaded with supplies for the stores. James ended up in Kingston, operating a store there for the next four years. In the meantime, Edward and Grace and their remaining children finally arrived in Upper Canada and settled in Dundas where they operated the store now named Lesslie and Sons. The Lesslie family played an important role in early life in Dundas. They operated a thriving business and owned considerable land in the area. Edward Lesslie was instrumental in establishing the Free Church in Dundas, which offered meeting space to a variety of denominations. John Lesslie would continue to manage the store in Dundas, become the postmaster, and purchase a brewery. He and three of his sisters remained in Dundas. Edward Lesslie died in 1828 and management of the business fell to the sons, John, James, Charles, and William. John remained in charge of the Dundas branch while James operated the York store with the help of their youngest brother, Joseph. William operated the store in Kingston. Charles emigrated to Davenport, Iowa, disillusioned after the rebellion of 1837. He would remain there for the rest of his life. Joseph Lesslie eventually became postmaster of Toronto. He and his wife, Sarah Graham, had seven children, of which two were doctors: Rolph Bidwell Lesslie and Joseph Walter Lesslie. Rolph Lesslie led an adventurous life, acting as surgeon to African expeditions and in the Turko-Russian war. One of Joseph and Sarah’s granddaughters, Constance Grace Lesslie Harding, daughter of their daughter Grace, led an equally adventurous life. She rebelled against her upbringing and lived a Bohemian life in Europe. Of the remaining Lesslie family, the eldest son, Edward, was written out of the will, his father disagreeing with his life choices. He died in Hamilton in 1875.

Horace Aylwin was born in Carmen, Manitoba on October 1, 1902 and moved to Hamilton with his family where he attended Hamilton Collegiate Institute. It was there that he took up running and where he was coached by Capt. John Richard Cornelius, the sprint coach. Horace Aylwin was married to Isabel Kerruish who was born March 5, 1905 and died on November 28, 1988. The couple had one daughter named Frances MacDonald born December 25, 1942 and died April 14, 2018.

Aylwin was 22 in 1924 when he took part in the Olympic Games in Paris. He competed in the 400 m but failed to advance to the final. He was also part of the men’s 4 x 400 m relay team, running the third leg of the race, with the team overall placing fourth. Aylwin also competed in the 1928 Games in Amsterdam where he participated in sprinting and high jump events. He eased out of running after the 1928 Games but remained active by walking and golfing frequently.

Horace Aylwin also worked on the Avro Arrow project, for Meray Motors in Oakville, and coached at Appleby College. Aylwin moved to Burlington for the last two decades of his life. He passed away in 1980.

John Bertram, also known as John Bartram, was born September 13, 1829 in the parish of Eddleston, Peeblesshire, Scotland to Alexander Bartram [Bertram] and Margaret Aimers. John married Elizabeth Bennet on May 7, 1852 in the parish of Stow, County of Edinburgh. Together, John and Elizabeth had six children; Alexander born February 18, 1853 in Dundas, Ontario; Henry born January 19, 1856 in Dundas; George born December 28, 1858 in the Township of Oxford, Kent County, Ontario; Jessie born March 22, 1861 in Township of Oxford, Kent County; Thomas Aimers born January 16, 1864 in Dundas, Ontario; and James Bennet born on May 22, 1868. Elizabeth Bennet died March 2, 1904 and John Bertram died April 4, 1906 and they are both buried in the Bertram family plot in Grove cemetery in Dundas, Ontario. John Bertram was born in Peeblesshire and spent his childhood at his family's home there. After finishing his schooling, John moved to Galashiels, in the County of Selkirkshire to work as an apprentice. A month after they were married in 1852, John and Elizabeth Bertram sailed for Canada; they arrived in Montreal in July but the city was devastated by fire so they continued on to Toronto then to Dundas on a suggestion for employment. John and Elizabeth established a home in Dundas for a short time before the factory in which John worked had to layoff workers. After losing his job, John Bertram moved his family to a hundred acre bush farm in Kent County along with Elizabeth's brother James Bennet. In Kent County, John built a log house for his family and lived there with his family for five years until 1862, when the iron business had picked up again, allowing John to move back to Dundas to work as an engineer. John's work in Dundas prospered allowing him to construct a mansion, called Glenholme, for his family overlooking the Bertram Works. John Bertram lived in Glenholme until his death in 1906. John Bertram attended the Parochial school at Eddlestone and afterwards took up an apprenticeship at Galashiels, in the County of Selkirkshire, where he learned the trade of a machinist with his uncle, Thomas Aimers. John Bertram was also an avid reader which allowed him to become a leading mechanical engineer despite his only obtaining a lower school education. It is with his apprenticeship in the machinist shops at Galashiels, John's career as a mechanical engineer was firmly established. This trade seems to have been heavily influenced by his wife's family, who were one of the leading millwright and engineering families in Southern Scotland. Following his move from Scotland to Canada, John took a job at the Gartshore Foundry in Dundas. The depression following the Crimean War placed John in a position where he was not able to support his family in Dundas. This prompted his establishment of a bush farm in Kent County, where he worked for five years. When the economy had recovered from the depression, John moved his family back to Dundas and resumed his position at the Gartshore Foundry. During his time at Gartshore Foundry, John met Robert McKechnie, a pattern maker, who wanted to establish his own business. While John continued to work at the foundry Robert and William McDonald established a small pattern and machine shop in 1860. This business continued until 1863 when the partnership was dissolved and John Bertram purchased ownership in the business with Robert McKechnie, together they named the new business the Canada Tool Works. The partnership between Robert and John continued until 1866 when Robert wanted to retire from the business, leaving John Bertram as the sole owner. John maintained the business as it was until 1886 when his three sons, Henry, Alexander and James, were established as apprentices and he renamed the company John Bertram & Sons. During this period, the shop focused on machine tools for woodworking and the construction of railways and established contracts across Canada and to some extent around the world. The company continued in this fashion until 1901 when it was given a Royal license to operate under the name of The John Bertram & Sons Company (Limited). In 1905, with the assistance of his sons John Bertram entered his company into a merger with the American firms of Niles, Bement, Pond Company and the Pratt & Whitney Company. With his company firmly established, John Bertram began to find time to engage in other pursuits. In 1865 and 1866, he was elected to the Committee of Management of the St. Andrew Society. He was also a public school trustee in 1865, 1868, and 1879. John also became president of the Mechanics Institute in 1872 and 1883. John Bertram was also a member of the Dundas town council and was mayor between 1889 and 1890. He was a lifelong Presbyterian and was a trustee of the Knox Church in Dundas. In 1897, he was elected to be the president of the Dundas Public Library and was seen as an active supporter of public education. He also helped to establish the Canadian Manufactures Association in 1893 and was one of its first members.

Laura Blackwell was born August 28, 1878 in St. Catharines, Ont., the tenth child of Walter and Euphemia Blackwell. Laura’s siblings were Hannah, John, Caroline, Mary, Keziah, Ella, Jay, Eva and Charles. Laura and her sister Keziah were trained vocalists and often gave performances in the St. Catharines area. Laura gave her final local performance in St. Catharines on September 27, 1900 at the Grand Opera House after which she was to make her debut at the Metropolitan in New York City. In the early 1900s she performed in Germany at Bayreuth and Munich. Her voice teachers were Ange Albert Pattou in New York and Brussels, Hermann in Munich, Lilli Lehman in Berlin and Jean de Reszke. In 1907 Laura married Stanislaw de Turczynowicz, Count Gozdawa in Krakow, Poland. On June 16, 1908 her daughter Wanda Jolanda was born and June 28, 1909 her twin sons, Stanislaw Piotr (Peter) and Wladislaw Pawel (Paul) were born. After experiencing the invasion of Poland by the Prussian army Laura and her three children fled her home in Suwalki, Poland to the safety of Germany in 1915, arriving in New York on September 30, 1915. Laura de Turczynowicz wrote a book about her experiences during the Prussian invasion, When the Prussians came to Poland, and went on speaking engagements throughout the United States and part of Canada promoting her book. The proceeds from the sale of the book were to support the efforts of the Red Cross in Poland and Lithuania. Laura was instrumental in the training of young women in nursing to aid war torn Poland. This group came under the umbrella of the Y.W.C.A. and the American Relief Administration and was known as the Gray Samaritans. From 1922 to 1927 Laura and her children resided in La Jolla, California. Laura was a voice teacher at Thearle’s Studio and produced musical operatic performances in the area. In 1928 she assumed the position of director of the operatic branch of the Toronto Conservatory of Music under the leadership of Sir Ernest Macmillan. After the 1929 season Laura left Toronto for Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia where she held a similar position. On June 15, 1935 Laura and her daughter Wanda crossed at Blaine, Washington on their way to Santa Monica, California where Laura was to live until her death on October 25, 1953.