Howland, Sir William Pearce National Historic Person
Toronto, Ontario
Portrait
© None; Credit: Library and Archives Canada / PA-028629
Address :
Old Dundas St., Toronto, Ontario
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1959-05-25
Life Date:
1811 to 1907
Other Name(s):
-
Howland, Sir William Pearce
(Designation Name)
Importance:
Father of Confederation
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: On the lawn of the historic Lambton Inn Old Dundas St., Toronto, Ontario
A prominent businessman and philanthropist, Howland was a leading Reform politician and a Father of Confederation. Founder of Lambton Mills, he was elected to the provincial legislature in 1858. He served in the Great Coalition government of 1864, which achieved the federal union, and attended the 1866 London Conference, where the text of the British North America Act was finalized. Elected to the first federal parliament, he resigned in 1868 to become the second lieutenant governor of Ontario. The remainder of his life was devoted to business and charitable works.