"SIMON JAMES DAWSON" - Thunder Bay - Ontario Provincial Plaques on Waymarking.com

This Ontario Provincial Plaque commemorating Simon James Dawson can be found in the Hillcrest Park, a public park located in the town of Thunder Bay (Ontario) Canada.

Simon James Dawson (June 13, 1818 – October 30, 1902) was a Canadian civil engineer and politician.

Born in Redhaven, Banffshire, Scotland, Dawson emigrated to Canada as a young man and began his career as an engineer. In 1857, as a member of a Canadian government expedition, he surveyed a line of road from Prince Arthur’s Landing (later Port Arthur, now part of Thunder Bay, Ontario) to Fort Garry and further explored that area in 1858 and 1859. His report greatly stimulated Canadian interest in the West. In 1868, he was placed in charge of construction of a wagon and water route following his earlier survey by the newly formed federal Department of Public Works. The Dawson road was traversed in 1870 by the Wolseley Expedition under the command of Colonel Garnet Wolseley sent to preserve order during the first Riel uprising, the Red River Rebellion.

Dawson represented Algoma in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1875 to 1878 and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1878 to 1891. As a politician, he was a consistent advocate for native rights. In 1875, he proposed that the riding of Algoma, then the only riding in the region of northern Ontario, become a separate territory, until it had enough population for provincial status. As a Scottish Roman Catholic, he was an anomaly in Protestant Ontario where most Scots were Presbyterian.

His brother William McDonell Dawson served as Crown Lands agent at Ottawa and was superintendent of the woods and forests branch in the Crown Lands department from 1852 to 1857. In 1858, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Trois-Rivières; he was defeated there but elected for the County of Ottawa in the 1861 general election. Another brother was the Roman Catholic priest Aeneas McDonell Dawson.

He died in Ottawa in 1902, virtually forgotten.

Source: Wikipedia

The text on the plaque:

SIMON JAMES DAWSON
1820-1902
Born in Scotland, Dawson emigrated to Canada as a young
man and began his career as a civil engineer. In 1857,
as a member of a Canadian government expedition, he
surveyed a line of road from Lakehead to For Garry
and in 1858-59 farther explored that area. His report
greatly stimulated canadian interest in the West. In 1868
he began construction of a wagon and water route following
his earlier survey. It was traversed in 1870 by the
Wolseley Expedition sent to preserve order during the first
Riel uprising. Dawson represented Algoma in the Ontario
legislature 1875-78 and in the Dominion parliament 1878-91.

Erected by the Ontario Archeological and Historic Bord.

Address or location of plaque: Hillcrest Park, Thunder Bay Physical location of plaque: City "Ontario Plaques" Website for this "Plaque": [Web Link] A web-site for more details.: [Web Link] Description of any physical remains at site of "Historical Plaque": doesn't apply This 'Plaque' describes: A 'Person' Condition of sign: very good Is this a bilingual sign?: No ! What is the second/third language?: Not listed

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