A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography: Brief biographies of persons distinguished in the professional, military and political life, and the commerce and industry of Canada, in the twentieth century

How it begins

It is now thirty-three years since the first volume of biographies bearing the title “Representative Canadians” was issued by the present firm of publishers. In 1886 the scope of the work was unique, so far as this country was concerned, for previous volumes of the kind had confined themselves to the careers of Canadians who have won fame in either a political or military capacity.