Denison, Colonel George T. National Historic Person
Toronto, Ontario
Denison, Colonel George Taylor
© (The Musson Book Co., 1920).
Address :
1 Yukon Lane and Sheppard Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1937-05-20
Life Date:
1839 to 1925
Other Name(s):
-
Denison, Colonel George T.
(Designation Name)
Importance:
Founder of the Canada First Movement and the Imperial Federation League
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Inside Denison Armoury main entrance 1 Yukon Lane and Sheppard Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario
The third generation of a prominent Toronto family, Denison commanded a local cavalry regiment and served during the Fenian Raids (1866) and the Northwest Rebellion (1885). Also active in politics, he was one of the founders of the nationalist Canada First movement. Convinced that the only way in which Canada could preserve her sovereignty in North America was as part of the British Empire, he became prominent in the Imperial Federation League, which flourished until the early part of this century. Although never elected to office , he was a Toronto police magistrate for 43 years.