Sir Byron Edmund Walker, C.V.O., LL.D., D.C.L.. (1848-1924) was a Canadian banker. He was the president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce from 1907-1924, and a generous patron of the arts, helping to found and nurture many of Canada's cultural and educational institutions, including the University of Toronto, National Gallery of Canada, Champlain Society, Appleby School, Art Gallery of Ontario and Royal Ontario Museum. In 1910, King George V knighted Walker for his contributions to business and the arts. Legum Doctor (English: Doctor of Laws; abbreviated to LL.D.) In the UK the LL.D. is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of exceptionally insightful and distinctive publications, containing significant and original contributions to the science or study of law. ... Some universities, such as the University of Oxford, award Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) degrees instead of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degrees. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank founded in 1867. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada. ... National Gallery of Canada on Canada Day. ... Appleby College is a private school (grades 7-12) located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1911 by John Guest, a former Headmaster of the Preparatory School at Upper Canada College. ... -1... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert) (3 June 1865–20 January 1936) was the last British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, changing the name to the House of Windsor in 1917. ... A statue of an armoured knight of the Middle Ages For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ...

Early years

Byron Edmund Walker was born on October 14, 1848 on the outskirts of Caledonia in Seneca Township, Haldimand County, Canada West. October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Haldimand is a single-tier municipality (but called a county) on the Niagara Peninsula in southern Ontario, on Lake Erie, and on the Grand River. ... Canada West was the western portion of the Province of Canada. ...

His Grandfather, Thomas Walker, had been a manufacturer of watchcases in London, England. He arrived in Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1834 with four of his children, some books and some pictures. The loss of his wife and four of his children contributed heavily to his decision to leave London for Canada. The third youngest child was Alfred Edmund Walker, Sir Edmund's father, a farmer who became a clerk. He was also an amateur naturalist, paleontologist and watercolour painter. Alfred Edmund married Fanny Murton of Hamilton in 1845. Fanny's parents also were immigrants from England, having arrived in 1832. Her father, William Murton, was college educated and her mother spoke Italian and French and played the harpsichord. She also ran a private junior school in Hamilton. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked... Map of Upper Canada (orange) Upper Canada was a British territory in the Canadian province of Ontario. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 4th 1,076,395 km... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Area: 1,117. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The Walkers had nine children of which Byron Edmund (or Edmund, as he preferred to be called) was the second oldest. The family moved from their farm near Caledonia, to Hamilton in 1852. There, at the age of four, Edmund began studies at his grandmother's school and then at the Hamilton Central School where he completed all six grades. He hoped to pursue a teaching career but poor health curtailed his enrollment in the Toronto Normal School, the teacher's college founded by Egerton Ryerson in 1851. At the age of 12, Walker entered the service of his uncle, John Walter Murton, who had a currency exchange business in Hamilton. 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Built in 1853 to house Egerton Ryersons Normal School and later becomes a training centre for veterans. ... Adolphus Egerton Ryerson (24 March 1803 – 19 February 1882) was a minister, educator, politician, and public education advocate in early Ontario, Canada. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

A stellar career

While working at his uncle's bureau de change, Walker became an expert in recognizing counterfeit bills being circulated during the American Civil War. After seven years at his uncle's firm, he spent a few months in Montreal but poor health forced him to return to Hamilton in 1868 where he began work as a discount clerk in the newly opened Canadian Bank of Commerce. A Bureau de Change is an organisation or facility which allows customers to exchange one currency for another. ... Combatants Union (remaining U.S. states) Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln† Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties KIA: 110,000 Total dead: 360,000 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 94,000 Total dead: 258,000 Wounded: 137,000+  The... City motto: Concordia Salus (Latin: Well-being through harmony) Province Quebec Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area  - % water 366. ... Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Area: 1,117. ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank founded in 1867. ...

The Canadian Bank of Commerce was established by industrialist William McMaster in 1867. McMaster would serve as a guiding light to the young Edmund, who quickly rose through the ranks. In 1872, he was appointed chief accountant at the bank's head office in Toronto. In May 1873, Walker was sent to New York as junior agent for the bank. Charged with responsibility for loans of gold against currency, he successfully maintained proper margins in spite of his clients' many sudden bankruptcies. The enterprising Walker was then sent to the bank's Windsor branch in 1875. In 1878, he was appointed manager of the London, Ontario branch, a year later was made inspector of the bank, and in 1880 he returned to Hamilton as manager. The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank founded in 1867. ... William McMaster (1811-1887) was a wholesaler, Senator and banker in the 1800s. ... 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Largest city Albany New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi  (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... // Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Established: 1854 (as village) 1892 (as city) Area: City: 120. ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Walker married Mary Alexander in 1874 while living in New York. Together they had four sons and three daughters. She was the daughter of Alexander Alexander, a carpenter who emigrated from Scotland to Lockport, New York, in 1834. That year, he married Isabella Buchan and moved to Hamilton, Ontario, where he became a green grocer. Together they had five children. 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Area: 1,117. ...

From 1881 to 1886, Edmund was again in New York as the bank's joint agent, giving him the opportunity to increase his talents in foreign exchange and to conduct international banking on a much larger scale. There he could expand his cultural interests, visiting galleries and museums, and beginning, in earnest, his art collection. In 1886, at age 38, Walker was recalled to Toronto as general manager of the Canadian Bank of Commerce. By then there were 30 branches in Ontario plus agencies in Toronto, Montreal and New York. The bank's assets at its inception were $2,997,081; 50 years later, these were $440,310,703 with branches across the country, largely attributable to Walker's strong leadership. 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Largest city Albany New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi  (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank founded in 1867. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 4th 1,076,395 km... City motto: Concordia Salus (Latin: Well-being through harmony) Province Quebec Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area  - % water 366. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Largest city Albany New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi  (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ...

Walker is known for developing the first set of written regulations for dividing a bank into a complex array of departments and is widely credited for the revision of the Canada Banking Act that gave Canada a centralized, panic-proof banking system. Walker was also professionally respected internationally. As vice-president of the American Bankers Association he was invited by a U.S. congressional committee to advise on the drafting of the Federal Reserve legislation. He held many key national and international positions; chairman of the bankers' section of the Toronto Board of Trade from 1891-92; vice-president of the Canadian Bankers Association (which he helped found in 1891) in 1893 and its president from 1894-95; chairman of the 1899 Royal Commission on the financial position of the province of Ontario; and chairman of the Section of Money and Credit for the 1904 Universal Exposition in St. Louis. He was a fellow of the Institute of Bankers of England and fellow of the Royal Economic Society of England. The American Bankers Association (ABA) is a free-trade and professional association that promotes and advocates issues important to the banking industry in the United States. ... The Federal Reserve System is headquartered in the Eccles Building on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC. The Federal Reserve System (also the Federal Reserve; informally The Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. ... The Canadian Bankers Association is an organization representing Canadas chartered banks and provides services to improve the wellbeing of its membership (banking lobby, policy development, research and support) and to consumers of banking services. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Worlds Fair is the generic name for various large expositions held since the mid 19th century. ... Nickname: Gateway City, Gateway to the West, or Mound City Official website: http://stlouis. ... The Royal Economic Society is one of the oldest economic associations in the world. ...

In 1906, he was elected director of the Canadian Bank of Commerce. He served as president from 1907 until his death in 1924. 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank founded in 1867. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Political ties

The Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier appointed Walker to the National Battlefields Commission in 1908. The commission was charged with the recovery of non-Crown land for a "Battlefields Park" in Quebec City where the Battle of the Plains of Abraham was fought between French and British forces. The commission was also charged with supervision of the expenditures of the Tercentenary Celebration of Champlain founding Quebec in 1608. Later, Walker was made chairman of the Canadian committee of the Peace Centenary, an event planned by the Canadian, American and British governments to commemorate 100 years of peace between Canada and the United States following the War of 1812-14. The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party positioned around the centre of the political spectrum, combining a generally progressive social policy with moderate economics. ... Sir Wilfrid Laurier, PC, KC, GCMG, BCL, DCL, LLD, DLitt (November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from July 11, 1896, to October 7, 1911. ... Motto: « Don de Dieu feray valoir Â» (I shall put Gods gift to good use) Site in the province of Quebec Official logo Provincial region Province Country Capitale-Nationale Quebec Canada Gentilé Québécois, Québécoise Mayor Term Andrée P. Boucher 2005-2009 Federal Members of Parliament... Combatants Britain France Commanders James Wolfe † Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm † Strength 4,800 regulars 4,000 regulars and militia Casualties 58 dead 600 wounded 644 dead or wounded The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, fought September 13, 1759, was a decisive battle of the North American theatre of... Samuel de Champlain by Théophile Hamel (1870) Samuel de Champlain (3 July 1567 – 25 December 1635) was a French geographer, draftsman, explorer and founder of Quebec City, Quebec. ... Events March 18 - Sissinios formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia May 14 - Protestant Union founded in Auhausen. ... The War of 1812 (in Britain, the American War of 1812 to 1815), was fought between the United States and British Empire from 1812 to 1815, on land in North America and at sea around the world. ...

Although Walker tried to stay out of active politics all his life and never joined a political party, he decided to take a pivotal role in the political arena with a group of 18 prominent businessmen who opposed the Reciprocity Agreement with the United States proposed by the Laurier government. Walker feared that the giant American trusts, once allowed into Canada, would paralyze the Canadian market. Furthermore, as an ardent patriot and staunch Imperialist, he feared it would weaken Canada's ties with Britain and ultimately lead to annexation with the United States. The anti-reciprocity forces led to the defeat of Laurier's government in 1911. Walker was among those who advised the new Conservative prime minister, Sir Robert Borden, on preserving the financial stability of Canada during the First World War. See also Canadian-American Reciprocity Treaty of 1855. ... Sir Wilfrid Laurier, PC, KC, GCMG, BCL, DCL, LLD, DLitt (November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from July 11, 1896, to October 7, 1911. ... Imperialism is the policy of extending the control or authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition and/or maintenance of empires, either through direct territorial or through indirect methods of exerting control on the politics and/or economy of other countries. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a right-of-centre political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ... Stephen Harper is the current Prime Minister of Canada. ... Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC , KC , GCMG , DCL , LL.D (June 26, 1854 – June 10, 1937) was the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911, to July 10, 1920, and the third Nova Scotian to hold this office. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

Interests in education

Walker credited his father for developing his broad interests and love for learning, and always regretted that poor health prevented him from getting a formal education. He believed that the basis of a civilized society was its educational system and that a nation's universities were its most treasured institutions. Throughout his life he took an active interest in educational institutions. One of the first and most lasting of his interests was the University of Toronto. In 1887, the denominational institutions of Victoria College (Methodist), Knox College (Presbyterian), Wycliffe College (Anglican theological school), and St. Michael's College (Roman Catholic) had entered into a federation with the secular University College, the only one funded by the government. After fire destroyed the eastern portion of University College in 1890, Walker was instrumental in persuading the Ontario government to make its first grant to the amalgamated University of Toronto. The University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... Victoria College is or was the name of several institutions of secondary or higher education, including: Victoria College, Alexandria, Egypt Victoria University in the University of Toronto, University of Toronto Victoria College, Texas Victoria College of Art Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne Victoria College, Jersey, Channel Islands... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Knox College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Galesburg, Illinois. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... Wycliffe College is an Anglican Church of Canada seminary at the University of Toronto. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... Saint Michaels College is a private liberal arts college located in Colchester, Vermont. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The term university college is used in a number of countries to denote institutions that provide tertiary education but do not have full or independent university status. ... The term university college is used in a number of countries to denote institutions that provide tertiary education but do not have full or independent university status. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 4th 1,076,395 km... The University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada. ...

He was also responsible for leading the last denominational college - Trinity College, affiliated with the Church of England - into the federation in 1904. Trinity awarded him a Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L.) that same year. In 1905, he was a member of the Royal Commission on the reorganization of the university, which was responsible for securing annual government grants thereafter. Over the course of his 32-year involvement with the university, Walker served as trustee (1892-1906), senator (1893-1901), member of the Board of Governors (1906-10), chairman (1910-23) and chancellor (1923-24). Trinity College main building The University of Trinity College, or simply Trinity College is one of the federated colleges making up the modern University of Toronto. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Some universities, such as the University of Oxford, award Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) degrees instead of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degrees. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The word trustee is a legal term that refers to a holder of property on behalf of some other beneficiary. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A Board of Governors is the board of directors of a publicly owned corporation, such as the United States Postal Service and Amtrak. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... -1... -1... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The Toronto Conservatory of Music also joined the university through his efforts. He served as a member of its Board of Governors, and later as president (1917-24). His support for music also included the Mendelssohn Choir, for which he was honorary president (1900-24). A Board of Governors is the board of directors of a publicly owned corporation, such as the United States Postal Service and Amtrak. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

With a lasting commitment to education and the importance of Canadian history in nurturing patriotism and a Canadian identity, he founded the Champlain Society in 1905. Established as a non-profit organization, its mandate was to publish important documents relating to Canadian history, projects that commercial publishers would consider unprofitable. He believed that this Society was his finest achievement. He served as its president until his death. 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A nonprofit organization (sometimes abbreviated to not-for-profit, non-profit, or NPO) is an organization whose primary objective is to support some issue or matter of private interest or public concern for non-commercial purposes. ... Canada is a nation of 31 million inhabitants occupying almost all of the northern half of the North American continent. ...

As an author of articles on a variety of subjects - banking, Robert Browning, Italian and Japanese art - it is not surprising that Walker would be one of the founders of the Canadian Society of Authors, established to promote Canadian literature and protect authors with copyright laws. Walker served as president from 1904-09. Robert Browning Robert Browning (May 7, 1812 – December 12, 1889) was an English poet and playwright. ... Bronze statue of Amida Buddha at Kotokuin in Kamakura (1252 CE) Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture in wood and bronze, ink painting on silk and paper, and a myriad of other types of works of art. ... Copyright symbol. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1911, Walker established Appleby School, a boys' private boarding school, for which he purchased the initial 32-acre property in Oakville. 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Appleby College is a private school (grades 7-12) located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1911 by John Guest, a former Headmaster of the Preparatory School at Upper Canada College. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Avancez (from French meaning Advance). Established: {{{Established}}} Area: 138. ...

A love of art

Through his years in New York and early trips to Europe - including to London in 1887 and Italy in 1892 - Walker developed skills as an art connoisseur and collector, often lecturing on the subject. His collection of art was housed in his Toronto residence - "Long Garth" at 99 St. George Street. The Victorian brick structure had fine wood interiors, Art Nouveau ceiling decorations by Gustav Hahn, and allegorical murals by George Agnew Reid. "Long Garth" became a treasure trove of etchings, prints, embroideries and oriental carpets, bronzes, brass and ivory work, porcelain china, not to mention his fossil collection and his extensive library. Walker had a particular fascination with printmaking and it was said that his expert eye for detail in detecting counterfeit banknotes aided his connoisseurship. Walker also was a member of the Japan Society of America and the most notable part of his collection, 1,070 Japanese woodblock prints, were bequeathed to the Royal Ontario Museum on his death. Equally of note is the collection of over 400 works of graphic art, ranging from the 15th to the 9th centuries, which he assembled between 1880 and 1924, including works by Dürer and Rembrandt. His children gave the collection to the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1926. Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Largest city Albany New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi  (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of architectural styles during the Victorian era: Neoclassicism Gothic Revival Italianate Second Empire Neo-Grec Romanesque Revival (Includes Richardsonian Revival) Renaissance Revival Queen Anne Jacobethan architecture (the precusor to the Queen Anne style) British Arts and Crafts movement painted... Art nouveau /É‘Ê€ nuvo/ (French for new art) is a style in art, architecture and design that peaked in popularity at the beginning of the 20th century. ... The mosaic ceiling of the rotunda entrance to the museum. ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... ... This article is about the Dutch painter. ... The main entrance to the AGO The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is an art museum on the eastern edge of Torontos downtown Chinatown district, on Dundas Street West between McCaul Street and Beverley Street. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Beyond purchasing some pictures by Canadian artists, Walker's first real connection with the Canadian art world began when he was approached by a number of prominent Toronto artists to help them organize a guild. With these like-minded laymen and artists who shared his ideals he formed the Toronto Guild of Civic Art. Spearheaded by George Agnew Reid, the guild pressed for civic improvements in the city. Walker served as its first president in 1897. As the Guild's representative on the committee to select the artist for the monument to Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe at Queen's Park, Walker was largely responsible for the commission being awarded to sculptor Walter Seymour Allward. Later, Walker was responsible for Allward's commission to design the South African War Memorial on University Avenue in Toronto. 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... John Graves Simcoe (February 25, 1752 – October 26, 1806) was the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada (modern-day southern Ontario plus the shoreline of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior) from 1791-1796. ... Walter Seymour Allward (November 18, 1876 - April 24, 1955) was a Canadian sculptor, born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who created many works, but, was probably most famous for the Vimy Ridge Memorial. ...

Walker and the Art Gallery of Ontario

Walker's relationship with George Agnew Reid led to the founding of the Art Gallery of Ontario. On March 15, 1900, Reid, then president of the Ontario Society of Artists, brought a group of citizens together to consider the formation of an art gallery for Toronto. At that meeting, a Provisional Art Museum Board was set in place with Walker as chairman and Reid as secretary. Through effective lobbying and fundraising ($5,000 each from 10 benefactors), the Ontario Legislature later that year passed a bill incorporating the Art Museum of Toronto. Walker became president of its Board of Trustees and served until his death. The main entrance to the AGO The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is an art museum on the eastern edge of Torontos downtown Chinatown district, on Dundas Street West between McCaul Street and Beverley Street. ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday. ... The main entrance to the AGO The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is an art museum on the eastern edge of Torontos downtown Chinatown district, on Dundas Street West between McCaul Street and Beverley Street. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Board of directors. ...

The initial challenge was to find a home for the new institution. It was Walker who convinced his friends, writer Dr. Goldwin Smith and his wife, the former Mrs. William Henry Boulton, to leave their historic house, "The Grange," to the new museum. Before the news became public, Walker bought surrounding land so that the museum would have space for future expansion. The Art Museum of Toronto (later renamed the Art Gallery of Toronto and then the Art Gallery of Ontario) officially opened its first galleries in The Grange in April 1913. In 1926, two years after his death, when the gallery was expanding, the Canadian Bank of Commerce donated the funds to build the magnificent room that bears his name, the Walker Court. Goldwin Smith (August 13, 1823-June 7, 1910), was a British historian and journalist. ... The main entrance to the AGO The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is an art museum on the eastern edge of Torontos downtown Chinatown district, on Dundas Street West between McCaul Street and Beverley Street. ... The main entrance to the AGO The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is an art museum on the eastern edge of Torontos downtown Chinatown district, on Dundas Street West between McCaul Street and Beverley Street. ... The main entrance to the AGO The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is an art museum on the eastern edge of Torontos downtown Chinatown district, on Dundas Street West between McCaul Street and Beverley Street. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Walker and the Royal Ontario Museum

The campaign for a world-class public museum for Toronto was led by Walker, philanthropist Sir Edmund Boyd Osler, then director of the Canadian Pacific Railway and president of the Dominion Bank, and Dr. Charles Trick Currelly, the first curator of the Royal Ontario Museum of Archaeology. An archaeologist, Currelly had been doing fieldwork in Egypt, Crete and Asia Minor for the purpose of collecting artifacts as a core collection for the small museum he established at Victoria College in 1907. But he wanted a larger museum for the university and others soon became involved. Walker, Osler and others provided funds and solicited financial support from the government. Edmund Boyd Osler (1845 – August 4, 1924) was a Canadian banker and politician. ... The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR; AAR reporting marks CP, CPAA, CPI), known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a Canadian Class I railway operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited. ... The Toronto-Dominion Bank (or TD Bank) offers a range of financial products and services. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Crete (Greek Κρήτη Kriti; called Candia in the Venetian period and Turkish: Girit) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion of Turkey. ... Victoria College is or was the name of several institutions of secondary or higher education, including: Victoria College, Alexandria, Egypt Victoria University in the University of Toronto, University of Toronto Victoria College, Texas Victoria College of Art Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne Victoria College, Jersey, Channel Islands... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Together, Osler and Walker created an organizational structure for the museum, including how funding was to be shared between the university and the government. In 1912, the Royal Ontario Museum Act was passed. A Board of Trustees was created, with appointments shared equally by university and government. Walker was its first chairman. 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The mosaic ceiling of the rotunda entrance to the museum. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Board of directors. ...

The Royal Ontario Museum opened on March 19, 1914. Currelly became director in 1914 until his retirement in 1946 and Walker remained chairman of the Board of Trustees until his death. In the ensuing years he contributed financially, and assisted through generous lines of credit from the Canadian Bank of Commerce, notably for Currelly's substantial acquisitions of Chinese artifacts. Walker's fossil collection became the nucleus of the museum's paleontology collection, and resulted in a dinosaur, the Parasaurolophus walkeri, being named after him in 1922. His interest and support of paleontology had led to an earlier association with the Royal Canadian Institute, another scientific institution of which he was president from 1898-1900. The mosaic ceiling of the rotunda entrance to the museum. ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Board of directors. ... The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank founded in 1867. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ... The Royal Canadian Institute, or RCI, is an oganization dedicated to the advancement of science. ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday. ...

Walker and the National Gallery of Canada

At the first official exhibition of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts on March 6, 1880, Canada's Governor General, the Marquis of Lorne, established the National Gallery at the Clarendon Hotel in Ottawa. An Advisory Arts Council was formed in 1907 and consisted of Sir George Drummond, president of the Bank of Montreal, as chairman; the senator from Montreal, Arthur Boyer, as secretary; and Sir Edmund Walker, then just newly appointed president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, as member. The council was charged with advising the government on architecture and decoration of public buildings and public monuments. It was responsible for selecting and purchasing artworks for the collection. Drummond favoured the acquisition of European works while Walker was adamant that Canadian art be included. On Drummond's death in 1909, Walker became chairman of the council. Walker's influence as a print collector was crucial in launching the gallery's Prints and Drawings Department, which opened in 1911. The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts is a Canadian arts-related institution founded in 1880, under the patronage of the Governor General of Canada, Sir John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, the Marquess of Lorne. ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Governor General of Canada (French: Gouverneure générale du Canada or Gouverneur général du Canada) is the representative of the Canadian monarch. ... National Gallery is a common name for a countrys major public art gallery. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Established: 1850 as Bytown Area: 2,778. ... Bank of Montreal TSX: BMO NYSE: BMO is Canadas fifth largest and the oldest chartered bank. ... City motto: Concordia Salus (Latin: Well-being through harmony) Province Quebec Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area  - % water 366. ... The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank founded in 1867. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...

Another responsibility of the council was to advise on the Victoria Memorial Museum (Ottawa's present Natural History Museum), which opened in 1913. The same year the National Gallery of Canada Act was passed with an independent Board of Trustees constituted; Walker was appointed chairman and served until his death. Its trustees were charged, among other duties, with the development, encouragement and cultivation of "correct artistic taste in the fine arts." By 1924, this collection had over 4,000 items. The east face of the Victoria Memorial Museum Building Ottawa, Canadas Canadian Museum of Nature is housed in the Victoria Memorial Museum Building, built in former farm fields in 1905 This massive stone structure is an excellent example of early 20th century architecture in Ottawa, and was built by... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... National Gallery of Canada on Canada Day. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Board of directors. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Walker and Canada's "war pictures"

Walker was key in the creation of what today is the collection of First World War "war pictures" now housed in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. In 1915, the Canadian financier and expatriate, William Maxwell Aitken (later Baron Beaverbrook), was appointed the Canadian force's official records officer in England. Beaverbrook established the Canadian War Memorials Fund to record for posterity the events of that war. As both a member of the fund's committee and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Gallery, Walker insisted that the commissioned artists include Canadians, as well as the British artists Beaverbook proposed. By 1918, a large number of Canadian artists, among them A.Y. Jackson and Frederick Varley, were in Europe sketching munitions factories and various theatres of operations where Canadians were active. Other artists, C.W. Jefferys among them, recorded the war effort at home in Canada. In 1921, the Beaverbrook-funded war collection was deposited with the National Gallery. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Canada. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Sir William Maxwell Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook (May 25, 1879 - June 9, 1964) was a Canadian–British business tycoon and politician. ... Alexander Young (A.Y.) Jackson (born October 3, 1882 in Montreal, Quebec, died April 5, 1974 in Kleinburg, Ontario) was a Canadian painter and founding member of the Group of Seven. ... Frederick Horsman Varley (January 2, 1881-September 8, 1969) was a member of the Canadian Group of Seven artists. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Walker also served on both the Canadian and British Commissions on War Records and Trophies, formed in 1918. In the Canadian plan, a gallery for the war pictures and a hall of trophies was to be built on Sussex Drive in Ottawa. Efforts to complete the building in 1922 and 1923 were unsuccessful and the paintings and trophies were loaned out. In 1971, the paintings were transferred from the National Gallery to the Canadian War Museum and now are displayed. 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Sussex Drive is a major street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Established: 1850 as Bytown Area: 2,778. ... The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Canada. ...

Innisfree

For weekend retreats, Walker began to purchase land in 1890 at De Grassi Point in Innisfil Township, Simcoe County. "Innisfree," as his wife named it, became the centre of Walker's family life. There, he build "Broadeaves" designed by leading Canadian architect Frank Darling. Darling was the architect of the University of Toronto and designed many buildings associated with Walker such as Convocation Hall and Trinity College at the University of Toronto and the Canadian Bank of Commerce (now Commerce Court North) on King Street West in Toronto. In 1913-14, Walker built "Innisfree Farm" to further his interest in livestock husbandry. Innisfree was left in trust to his descendents as a private land trust. Managed today with the assistance of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Innisfree is designated an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest for its prairie grassland and remnants of an old growth forest ecosystem. Innisfil is a town located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, immediately south of Barrie and 80 km north of Toronto, Canada. ... Simcoe is a county located in central Ontario. ... Frank Darling (1850-1923) was a Canadian architect and key player in buildings built in Toronto during the early 20th Century and promoter of the Beaux-Arts style. ... The University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada. ... Trinity College main building The University of Trinity College, or simply Trinity College is one of the federated colleges making up the modern University of Toronto. ... The University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada. ... The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank founded in 1867. ... Commerce Court North Commerce Court North is an historic skyscraper in Toronto, Canada. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Ministry of Natural Resources is and agency of the provincial government responsible for managing and protecting the natural resources of the Canadian province of Ontario. ...

Last years

Sir Byron Edmund Walker left his imprint on the financial, artistic, and intellectual development of Canada. A wizard of finance, skilled in the intricacies of exchange and international business, he molded a tiny bank into a national institution and was largely responsible for overhauling the Canadian banking system. Simultaneously he established a wide range of cultural icons - the National Gallery of Canada, the collection of "war pictures" forming the nucleus of the Canadian War Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Champlain Society, the federation of colleges that became the University of Toronto - and many more. An amateur paleontologist, he was also an author of note. He was knighted by King George V, was a Knight of Grace of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, and Japan appointed him Honorary Japanese Consul-General. Walker died at the age of 75, on March 27, 1924. After his death, the Globe and Mail wrote this description of Walker: "Possibly no more versatile Canadian existed in his day and age; probably few others have done so much for Canada." National Gallery of Canada on Canada Day. ... The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Canada. ... The main entrance to the AGO The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is an art museum on the eastern edge of Torontos downtown Chinatown district, on Dundas Street West between McCaul Street and Beverley Street. ... The mosaic ceiling of the rotunda entrance to the museum. ... The University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada. ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ... A statue of an armoured knight of the Middle Ages For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert) (3 June 1865–20 January 1936) was the last British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, changing the name to the House of Windsor in 1917. ... This page deals with the order after its revival in the 19th century. ... See also: consulate (disambiguation). ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in Leap years). ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Globe and Mail is a large Canadian English language national newspaper based in Toronto. ...

References

• Ontario Heritage Foundation. Sir Byron Edmund Walker, 2005.