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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 12h

Bio of the Day: Marie-Anne Laporte (1871–1929), factory worker, store clerk, and labour activist. She was the leader of the the Association Professionnelle des Employées de Magasins, of which she was to be elected vice-president around 1916 and president in 1923. biographi.ca/en/bio/lapor...

Membership card for the Fédération Nationale St-Jean-Baptiste with a circular crest, contact information, office hours, etc.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 16h

It is #WomensHistoryMonth! Angelique Pilotte (fl. 1815–19), an Indigenous servant, was convicted of infanticide in 1817. Sentenced to hang under a law that presumed guilt, she was spared after petitions for mercy, with her sentence commuted to one year in prison. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/pilot...

The Court House, Niagara-on-the-Lake. Sketch of a symmetrical two-story building with a central arched doorway, second-story bay window, five evenly spaced front windows, and tall end chimneys.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

It is #WomensHistoryMonth! Jean Newton McIlwraith (1858–1938) was an author, journalist, and editor. Her dream occupation was that of critic. Hired by Doubleday in 1903, she was respected and at times feared as a reader. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/mcilw...

A white woman in a high-collared blouse and dark bow tie, hair pinned up.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Bio of the Day: James Cleland Richardson (1895–1916), bagpiper and soldier. He volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force and was a private and piper with the 16th Infantry Battalion (the Canadian Scottish) and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/richa...

Portrait of a young soldier in Highland military dress (kilt, sporran, tunic and cap) standing with one hand on a carved stone pedestal.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

It is #WomensHistoryMonth! Délia Tétreault, known as Marie du Saint-Esprit (1865–1941), founded the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, the first Canadian religious community dedicated to overseas missions. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/tetre...

Black and white photo of a nun, wearing a traditional black and white habit and a large cross around her neck. She is wearing glasses and her hair is covered.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Bio of the Day: Solomon White (1836–1911), lawyer, farmer, businessman, and politician. In 1878 White was elected to the Ontario legislature for Essex North. As the first Indigenous legislator in Ontario, he virtually stood alone in contending for Indigenous rights. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/white...

Portrait of a middle-aged man in a suit and bow tie, with short trimmed hair and a small dark moustache.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

It is #WomensHistoryMonth! Jenny Kidd Gowanlock Trout (1841–1921) challenged men’s exclusive hold on the medical profession in Canada. In 1875 she became the first woman doctor authorized to practise in Canada. biographi.ca/en/bio/gowan... 📷@LibraryArchives @WAGE_FEGC

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

It is #WomensHistoryMonth! Peggy (fl. 1766–1827) was one of the hundreds of Black people enslaved in Upper Canada. She and her three children were held in bondage on Peter Russell’s estate and farm. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/peggy...

Historical newspaper advertisement from 1806 offering an enslaved Black woman - Peggy - for sale, describing her age, child, domestic skills, health, price and payment terms, and naming the seller as Peter Russell.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

#NewBio! William Gordon Ernst (1897–1939), army officer, lawyer, and politician. His death – almost certainly a suicide – was a severe blow to the Conservatives, who had expected him to have a bright political future. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/ernst...

Photographic portrait of a young man with neatly parted dark hair, wearing a jacket, dress shirt, and tie.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

This thematic ensemble gives an overview of his life and public career. Its seven sections explore illustrative moments in the history of Canada and tell of the words and deeds of the first French Canadian to become prime minister of this country. www.biographi.ca/en/theme_lau...

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Our thematic galleries are special projects that bring together many bios within the context of a theme. Today's highlighted theme is Sir Wilfrid Laurier. www.biographi.ca/en/theme_lau...

Portrait of an older man in a formal suit seated in a chair, holding an open book with pince‑nez glasses tucked into his waistcoat.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Bio of the Day: James McGill (1744–1813), merchant, office holder, politician, landowner, militia officer, and philanthropist. In his will he left a sum of money and his Burnside estate to found what would become McGill University. #Montreal www.biographi.ca/en/bio/mcgil...

Painted portrait of an older white man with white hair or in a white powdered wig and dark coat with gold buttons and a white cravat. He is holding a book.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

It is #WomensHistoryMonth! Marie Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie (1867–1945) not only made a forceful contribution to changing attitudes but also opened the way for the dramatic rise of #Quebec’s feminist movement during the Quiet Revolution. biographi.ca/en/bio/lacos...

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

#WomensHistoryMonth Clare Gass (1887–1968) served as a nursing sister with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in the First World War. The diary she kept during her four years overseas is a remarkable historical source. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/gass_...

A white woman is wearing a white nurse's headdress that flows behind her shoulders. Her outfit has military-style buttons and a large white collar. She is wearing glasses and is looking into the camera.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

It is #WomensHistoryMonth! Ohtowaˀkéhson (Catharine Brant) was head woman of the turtle clan of the Mohawks. She had much influence among the Six Nations; her opinions counted, and they were a political force to be reckoned with. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/ohtow...

Two people, one seated, and one (Indigenous or in Indigenous clothing) standing, holding a tomahawk, are next to a lake or pond. On the far side of the water is a house on a hill, with many trees. On the near side of the lake is a log cabin with a rail fence.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Bio of the Day: Thomas Fyshe (1845–1911), banker. As a result of hisforbearance and good judgement, the Bank of Nova Scotia emerged relatively unscathed from the mid 1880s at a time when less well-managed banks foundered. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/fyshe...

A long-faced man with dark hair, a dark beard and moustache wears a dark suit and is seated in an ornate chair, one hand holding a book on a small table.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

It is #WomensHistoryMonth! A pioneer of women’s rights, Idola Saint-Jean (1879–1945) contributed to defining the feminism that would mark Quebec from the 1960s onward. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/saint...

Portrait of a woman with short wavy hair, pearl earrings wearing a dark dress and a fur wrap.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

📖 Athanase David (1882–1953), lawyer and politician: www.biographi.ca/en/bio/david... 📖 Cécile Gannendâris (d. 1669), Wendat matriarch, Christian convert, and member of the Confrérie de la Sainte-Famille: www.biographi.ca/en/bio/ganne...

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

How about some weekend reading? Have you read all of our new bios published in September? 📖 Isaac (d. 1932), Tr’ondëk Hän (Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in) chief: www.biographi.ca/en/bio/isaac... 📖 Gordon Tamblyn (1878–1933), pharmacist and businessman: www.biographi.ca/en/bio/tambl...

Collage on deep red background with three vintage photos of three different men, and the DCB/DBC red-and-black monogram.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Bio of the Day: Mary Greene (1843–1933), member of the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus, educator, and provincial for the order in Canada. Greatly respected as a teacher and superior, she became a trailblazer for Catholic education. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/green...

A woman wearing a dark wide hood and a heavy coat clasps her hands together. Other women in similar outfits are in the background.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

It is #WomensHistoryMonth! Writer Robertine Barry (1863–1910), known as Françoise, was a modern, professional woman, single and independent, and an important figure in the history of Canadian feminism and of 19th-century Canada. biographi.ca/en/bio/barry...

Portrait of a white woman with dark hair and wearing a high-necked dress, sitting on a carved chair; a potted palm and wicker chair sit beside her. The name "FRANCOISE" is written in cursive across the bottom right-hand corner of the photo.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Bio of the Day: Horace Bélanger (1836–92), fur trader and JP. In 1867 he moved to Cumberland House (Sask.), and in 1870, still a clerk, he took charge of the entire Cumberland district. Two years later he was promoted chief trader and in 1873 he was made factor. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/belan...

Engraved portrait of a dark haired and full bearded man wearing a suit and bow tie.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It is #WomensHistoryMonth! Chloe Cooley (fl. 1793) was one of the hundreds of Black people who were enslaved in Upper Canada. Her desperate resistance, directly influenced the subsequent passage of the Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/coole...

Canadian postage stamp depicting a Black woman in a blue dress and yellow shawl with a blue and yellow headwrap against a river and cliff landscape with a rowboat below; “CANADA” and a maple-leaf postal emblem appear at the top. The name "CHLOE COOLEY" is at the bottom.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Allen Patrick Willie (1928–37), schoolboy, was one of more than 150,000 Indigenous children enrolled in Canada’s residential school program between the late 1880s and 1996. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/willi... 📷 Lejac Indian Residential School.

Institutional building on a hill, with a dirt path and fence posts winding through tall, overgrown grass.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Our thematic galleries bring together many bios within the context of a theme. Today's highlighted theme is From the Red River Settlement to Manitoba (1812–70). www.biographi.ca/en/theme_riv... 🎨 "Red River Settlement" by Paul Kane.

The Red River settlement showing a wide river with tree-lined banks, a distant church and clustered buildings, foreground fences and a cloudy sky.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Édouard-Hector Rouleau (1843–1912), physician. He was one of a handful of medical doctors practising their profession in Calgary in the 1880s, and was a founding member of, and spokesman for, Calgary’s nascent French Catholic community. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/roule...

Portrait of an older man with wavy white hair and a large handlebar mustache, wearing a high-collar shirt and dark suit.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Rodolphe Lemieux (1866–1937), journalist, lawyer, professor, and politician. One of the most important national political figures of his time, he had his equals among French Canadian Liberals, but only one, Wilfrid Laurier, was his superior. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/lemie...

Portrait of an older man in court robes with a white collar, standing in a wood-paneled room.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Freeborn Garrettson (1752–1827), Methodist minister. He adopted a neutral stance towards the American revolution, and strongly opposed enslavement. He was perhaps the most gifted, influential preacher to work in Nova Scotia in the 18th century. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/garre...

Portrait of a middle-aged man with a very high forehead and curly hair, wearing dark clerical or formal robes, with a light-coloured collar.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Polly Barber (Scovil) (1803–98), teacher, farmer, and businesswoman. The “widow Scovill,” as she was called, was so successful that, according to her obituary in the Montreal Daily Star, she was known as “the most prosperous farmer of Sutton.” www.biographi.ca/en/bio/barbe...

Portrait of an older woman with center-parted hair wearing a high-collared dark dress or shirt.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Gualbert Gervais (1844–88), Papal Zouave and teacher. In 1867 he enlisted in the battalion of Zouaves to aid the Papal States. With a touch of both regret and irony, he noted that he had served “as a hero, in an office.” www.biographi.ca/en/bio/gerva...

A young man in a Zouave uniform and cap. He has dark hair and a moustache.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

#NewBio! Athanase David (1882–1953), lawyer and politician. As Quebec’s provincial secretary from 1919 to 1936, Athanase David made his mark in numerous areas, such as culture, education, and health. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/david...

Portrait of a man in a suit and tie, seated with arms crossed.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Our thematic galleries bring together many bios within the context of a theme. Today's highlighted theme is the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was the last major conflict fought on Canadian soil. www.biographi.ca/en/theme_181...

Sailing ships and smaller craft off a shoreline with plumes of smoke from shore and vessels. This is a bird's-eye view looking northeast from approximately foot of Parkside Drive, showing arrival of American fleet prior to capture of York, 27 April 1813. Baldwin Collection of Canadiana, Toronto Public Library.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Jean Langevin (1821–92), Roman Catholic priest, teacher, educational administrator, author, and bishop. In 1867 he was appointed as bishop of the new diocese of Rimouski, stretching some 150,000 square miles on both sides of the St Lawrence. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/lange...

Dark-haired clergyman standing beside an ornate table and upholstered chair, wearing a long buttoned cassock and shoulder cape with a square collar.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Maria Louisa Angwin (1849–98), educator and physician. In 1884 she became the first woman licensed to practise medicine in Nova Scotia. Patients ringing her doorbell were greeted by a resident parrot announcing, “Someone wants the doctor.” biographi.ca/en/bio/angwi...

Newspaper advertisement for Maria Angwin, listing her medical credentials and past hospital posts as well as her office hours and address in Halifax, N.S.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Alphonse-Alfred-Clément La Rivière (1842–1925), businessman, civil servant, newspaper owner, and politician. In a society more mature than the Manitoba of the 1870s and 1880s he might never have attained the prominence he did. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/la_ri...

Black-and-white portrait of an older white man with slicked-back hair and a thick mustache, wearing a suit and bow tie.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Charles Edward Poulett Thomson, 1st Baron Sydenham (1799–1841), colonial administrator. No governor had such a profound influence on the future development of the British North American colonies – not even Lord Durham. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/thoms...

Portrait showing a dark-haired man wearing a dark coat and high cravat. Text: LORD SYDENHAM.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Read our bio of Archie Belaney, known as Grey Owl and Wa-sha-quon-asin, here: www.biographi.ca/en/bio/belan...

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Bio of the Day: James Finlay Weir Johnston (1796–1835), agricultural chemist, mineralogist, and author. In 1848, Johnston was invited to report on the agricultural capabilities of New Brunswick. Johnston accomplished the task with remarkable dispatch. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/johns...

Portrait of a balding man with wide muttonchop sideburns, a high forehead, and a dark suit with bow tie.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Henri Julien (1852–1908), lithographer, illustrator, caricaturist, reporter, and painter. His 22 years at the Montreal Daily Star, from 1886 until the end of his life, definitively established Henri Julien's reputation as a political caricaturist. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/julie...

Portrait of a man wearing a dark suit and a light-coloured shirt with a high white collar. He has a large moustache, pointed at the ends, and his arms are crossed. Text: HENRI JULIEN.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Ezekiel (Ezechiel) Hart (1770–1843), businessman, seigneur, militia officer, JP, and politician. His victory in the 1807 by-election in Trois-Rivières precipitated an important political episode and controversy. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hart_...

Portrait of a man with short, wavy hair, wearing a high-collared shirt and dark coat, possibly with a fur collar.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#NewBio! Charles Allen Gordon Tamblyn (1878–1933), pharmacist and businessman. A shrewd, innovative Ontario businessman, Gordon Tamblyn opened his first drugstore in Toronto in 1904, and by the early 1930s he had built the largest pharmacy chain in Canada. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/tambl...

Black and white newspaper portrait showing a bald, middle-aged man in a dark suit and tie.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Our thematic galleries bring together many bios within the context of a theme. Today's theme is Women in the DCB/DBC: Winning the Right to Vote. Read the bios of women and men that deal with the history of women’s suffrage in Canada. www.biographi.ca/en/theme_wom...

Group of suffragists wearing sashes, smiling and holding a banner inviting the public to a Woman’s Franchise meeting at St. James’s Hall.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Caroline Scales (Hoyt), known as Caroline Miskel and Caroline Miskel-Hoyt (1873–98), actress. At age 18, she played her début season in New York, appearing in new comedies and classic revivals. She died suddenly at 25. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/scale...

Portrait of a young woman; her light-coloured hair is a curly updo with a decorative clip, her eyebrows are dark and her eye makeup dramatic, and she is wearing a dark strapless gown.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Bio of the Day: George Taylor Richardson (1886–1916), athlete, merchant, and militia and army officer. An outstanding hockey player, he was regarded as one of the most remarkable Canadian athletes of his time. He was killed in 1916 while serving in World War I. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/richa...

Portrait of a military officer with a small moustache, dressed in a uniform, cap and tunic with a leather strap across his chest.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Laura Ingersoll (Secord) (1775–1868), heroine. She became celebrated as a heroine in history, poetry, and drama after carrying a warning of an American attack on the British outpost at Beaver Dams. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/inger...

A woman travels through a forest, her orange/brown cloak billows behind her as she clutches her skirt, depicted on a postage stamp. TEXT: LAURA SECORD LEGENDARY PATRIOT HEROINE LEGENDAIRE.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Hermann Otto Tiedemann (1821–91), architect, civil engineer, and surveyor. Tiedemann helped to establish sophisticated stylistic and technical standards for architecture in Victorian British Columbia. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/tiede...

Bearded older man in a suit and bow tie.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Bio of the Day: Fanny Amelia Wright (Bayfield) (1813/14–91), painter and teacher. She lived at a time when amateur painters flourished and when many women played the piano, sang, and painted non-professionally. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/wrigh...

Portrait of a woman in a dark full-skirted dress with a lace collar, center-parted ringlet hairstyle tied with flowers and ribbons. She is holding an open book in her hands.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

#NewBio! Isaac (d. 1932), Tr’ondëk Hän (Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in) chief. Intelligent, respected, and knowledgeable about the ways of the newcomers, Chief Isaac proved to be a skilled diplomat. www.biographi.ca/en/bio/isaac...

Indigenous man wearing a feathered hat and a patterned blanket over a dark coat, with a beaded sash, standing outdoors.

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

This resource is intended to teach students to think critically, to examine and interpret facts about people and events in Canadian history, and to learn the difference between primary and secondary sources. www.biographi.ca/en/article/e...

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Dictionary of Canadian Biography @dcb-dbc.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Our thematic galleries bring together many bios within the context of a theme. Today we highlight “Exploring the Explorers”, our free educational resources based on our bio of Jacques Cartier. www.biographi.ca/en/article/e...

Portrait of a bearded figure in dark robes and a cap, standing with one hand on his chin and the other on his hip. There are clouds in the background.

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