Item
St. Croix Courier
Jan 5/1956
Sir James Dunn Rites are Held
Funeral for Sir James Hamet Dunn, 81, world-famed industrialist and financier who died at his home in St. Andrews Sunday at 12:30 noon after an illness of less than a week, was held privately Tuesday morning at Fernhill crematorium, Saint John.
Service was conducted by Rev. Canon Joseph McAlden of St. Andrews. Only members of Sir James' immediate family and staff at St. Andrews attended.
A memorial service will be held this afternoon (Thursday) at 2 o'clock at St. Luke's Pro-Cathedral at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
Dr. E.A. Stewart of St. Andrews, who had been attending Sir James, said he died from a heart ailment. Dr. John Oille, a leading Canadian heart specialist, was flown from Toronto after Sir James' illness entered a critical stage.
Sir James' son and heir to the baronetcy, Philip Gordon Dunn, 50, flew from London, England, and was at his father's bedside when he died.
Besides his son, he is survived by his widow, Lady Dunn, the former Marcia Christoforides, whom he married in 1942, and four daughters Mrs. Robert Adeane, Mrs. Charles Dutton, Countess Peter Wollf-Metternick and Ann Dunn.
Sir James Dunn, who rose from a clerkship in a Bathurst law office, to become one of the Canada's most fabulous millionaires had maintained his St. Andrews home, Dayspring, since 1945.
In 1920, while in England, he was made a baronet for secret industrial services carried out on behalf of the British government during World War I. To stop the flow of nickel from neutral European countries was one his reported assignments. Sir James was born at Bathurst Oct. 29, 1874. His father, Robert , a shipbuilder in the waning days of wooden ships, died when Dunn was a year old.
After he left high school and went to work in a Bathurst law firm, he met two other clerks, Dick Bennett and Max Aitken. All eventually became great public figures and all won titles. Rt. Hon. R. B. Bennett was Prime Minister of Canada and later a member of the House of Lords, while Aitken became Lord Beaverbrook, publisher of the London Daily Express.
Counting his pennies to finance his tuition, James Dunn enrolled at Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS. He once worked as a deckhand to keep himself in college. Graduating in law in 1899, he was subsequently admitted to the bar of Nova Scotia, Quebec, Northwest Territories and Ontario. After graduation, he went to Calgary with Max Aitken, where Bennett had already established himself and the three-way friendship formed in those days continued through the years.
Sir James returned east to Ottawa where he entered a law partnership and by 1892 [sic] he had gained a healthy reputation. Borrowing $20,000 he bought a seat on the Montreal stock exchange and after selling $1,090,000 worth of bonds for Havana Electric Co. in London, he formed his own banking house there and opened continental branches.
From that point, his career progressed by leaps and bounds and by the time he was 40, he was a multi-millionaire.
Sir James' connection with Algoma Steel Corp. began in 1907 and by 1935 he had emerged as chairman, president and principal owner of the company. Putting modern machinery into operation, he turned a defunct business into one of Canada's most important steel industries and he saved Sault Ste. Marie at a time when its people began to drift elsewhere seeking employment.
Gaining control of Canada Steamship Lines in 1951, Sir James found himself operating a fleet of 50 Great Lakes freighters, a fleet of tugs, grain elevators and hotels. One of the biggest bulk carriers on the lakes, the $5,000,000 Sir James Dunn, was included in his freighter fleet.
Sir James had numerous honorary degrees conferred on him during his lifetime from various universities. These institutions included Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Bishop's University, Lennoxville, Quebec; Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario; Mount Allison university, Sackville; St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish; Sacred Heart University, Bathurst.
Making many public donations, chiefly to the causes of health and education, Sir James endowed many universities with scholarships and professorships. Sir James had been providing the University of New Brunswick with a series of graduate and under-graduate scholarships value at $5,000 a year since 1947.
One result of these donations, the thesis of a Sir James Dunn Scholar, A. B. Baldwin, on Bathurst ores, was instrumental in the base metal discoveries in that area.
Sir James also presented a professorship to Mount Allison University to be maintained by Algoma for 25 years to help the university develop its geology facilities. Dalhousie university received both a chair and a foundation in law from him and Laval University in Montreal receives $10,000 annually for a chair in its school of mines.
Among his foundations was Bathurst Hospital. He contributed to Charlotte County hospital. He was president of Algoma Ore Properties Ltd., Cannelton Coal and boke C., Lake Superior Coal, Co., Elborn Limestone Co., and Canadian Furnace Co.
Less than a year ago, Sir James gave $25,000 to UNew Brunswick for the establishment of a chair in geology. The many philanthropies of Sir James Dunn were recognized publicly during the 1955 session of the Legislature when a member referred to him as a great son and benefactor of New Brunswick.
St. Croix Courier
March 1/1956
St. Andrews Author on Arctic trip. Photo showing parka to four sons, ages 4 to 8. Willa present.
4 month trip looking for book material.
St. Croix Courier
March 22/1956
Huge addition to Royal York. Drawing. $10 million, 400 rooms. Increase room capacity to 1,600 and convention space to 3,000. Maintain Toronto as Canada's premier convention city.
St. Croix Courier
March 29/1956
G. W. N. (Bill) Cockburn sworn in a deputy magistrate Charlotte County. Photo. Son of G. H. I. Cockburn of St. Stephen.
St. Croix Courier
April 12/1956
Proposed bridge between Campobello and Lubec.
St. Croix Courier
May 10/1956
Summer Colony Heyday at Campobello. Details on cottage owners after hotels appearance. Hotels and cottages now long closed.
St. Croix Courier
May 31/1956
Dozen conventions set at Algonquin
9 scheduled before July 8. Hotel opened May 28 with Maritime Hospital Assoc. Cdn Assoc Equipment Distributors. Eastern Conference of Motor Vehicles. Rotary International. Investment Dealers Assoc. Maritime Automobile Dealers. Telephone Assoc. Canada. Mutual Life Assurance. New Brunswick Barristers Society.
End of season. Maritime Seniors Golfers. New Brunswick Medical Society. Engineering Institute of Canada. Hotel will close Sept. 8.
St. Croix Courier
June 7/1956
Community Pool Project at St. Andrews
A community sponsored swimming pool, beach, picnic site and parking lot will be constructed this summer on the east side of Katy's Cove. E. B. (Bill) Ross of St. Andrews, chairman of a newly formed local improvement assoc. stated. To cost 10,000. To open this July. Saltwater pool public and free. Entrance to the recreation area will be gained by the cemetery road and one of the items involved in the scheme is the construction of a 500 yard roadway from end of cemetery to Katy's Cove. Assoc. has acquired lease on land. (Evidently the situation at Katy's Cove with the Hotel was not entirely satisfactory; however, this project does not seem to have materialized.)
St. Croix Courier
June 21/1956
Hugh John Flemming re-elected in PC sweep.
General Vincent Massey to open high school June 25. Already in operation one year to relieve overcrowding at Prince Arthur.
First annual lobster festival for St. Andrews—plans underway.
Itinerary for Massey while in Charlotte County. To visit with M. Shaughnessy, Blair Gordon, Mona Prentice—all of Montreal and St. Andrews. To tour town and islands.
St. Croix Courier
June 28/1956
Passamaquoddy Power Project feasibility study to be made. (Much in news about this in coming months)
New steel bridge connects St. Stephen/Calais. Photo of last span being lifted into place.
St. Croix Courier
July 5/1956
Review with photos of Massey's visit to St. Andrews. First native-born Governor General.
Massey made fourth freeman of St. Andrews. Arrival delayed by late arrival of noon train, to which vice-regal car attached.
David Walker, chair of school board, chats with Lionel Massey in photo, prisoner of war with him at same prison camp in 1942-43. Now Dad's secretary.
St. Croix Courier
July 19/1956
Town's Tourist Trade Booming. St. Andrews. This town's tourist trade is booming at the moment, Mayor Leigh Williamson reported Wed. He said Algonquin Hotel officials told him the current "house count" of 204 was the highest recorded for this time of year since 1951.
St. Croix Courier
Sept 6/1956
Arthur D. Ganong Honored by Friends at Algonquin Hotel Testimonial dinner.
St. Croix Courier
Sept 13/1956
CD Howe, Minister Trade and Commerce, makes first visit to Grand Manan. Entourage of local notables. Photo.
St. Croix Courier
Oct 4/1956
Algonquin Chief Moves to 'Peg
DA Williams to Royal Alexandra as associate manager. R. A. Mackie general manager of CP Hotels. Hugh MacFarlane, manager Royal Alexandra past 20 years, will retire. Williams three years at Algonquin; 13 years before that, assistant manager Regina, Winnipeg, Victoria. Started at CPR in 1926 in Winnipeg in treasury and operating (vice-president's office) before moving to hotels in 1932. Wife former Jean Reid, Winnipeg. Have already left St. Andrews. Photo of Williams.
St. Croix Courier
Nov 1/1956
International 2-pool Plan to Harness Tides of Quoddy. Schematics. Big spread.
St. Croix Courier
Nov. 22/1956
World's largest lobster pound. Aerial photo of Northern Harbour, Deer Island, pound owned by Conley's, St. Andrews. Begun 1932. 500,000 square feet, 1 million lobster capacity. Highest count to date 800,000.
St. Croix Courier
Nov 29/1956
Frank Purton Club Champion. St. Andrews Golfers Hold Closing Dinner. Banquet at Knights of Pythias Hall. "After the main course a short sing song was led by Kent Ross at piano, and after the dessert course entertainment was provided by Bon Harriett who gave his interpretation of rock and roll. He was followed by vice-president Bud Smith's quiz show Shoot the Works, a takeoff of the 64,000 dollar Question."