Born in Paris Ontario, John graduated from the University of Western Ontario (1961) with an Honors History Degree. After teaching for 24 years in secondary schools in Chatham (2), Brockville (21) and Western Australia (1), plus 13 years at Queen's Faculty of Education John retired in 2002. Besides his teaching John has authored four Canadian History textbooks, managed the writing of the Ontario Canadian and World Studies Curriculum, and designed numerous learning resources, for example: We Are Canadians, and Canadians in the Global Community.
John has received a number of awards recognizing his contributions to the communities in which he has worked and lived, including: Tennis Coach of the Year, Ontario Tennis Association, 1980; Citizen of the Year, Brockville Chamber of Commerce, 1982 (Recognition for organizing Brockville's Sesquicentennial and his role as founder and principal organizer of Brockville's Multicultural Society and Fair, 1982); Golden Apple Award, 1997 (Presented by the Queen's University, Faculty of Education, Student Society); Alan Skeoch Award for Contribution and Leadership in the Teaching of History presented by Ontario History and Social Studies Teachers Association, 2001; Award of Merit, 2002, presented by the Association For Canadian Studies.
Presently John serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Teach Magazine; Advisory Council of Historica Foundation of Canada, Executive Council of the Kingston Historical Society; and most recently the Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation.
A graduate of the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto, John has devoted his working life to the protection and presentation of Canada's historic heritage.
He began his career at the Art Gallery of Ontario and then, after a few years in Toronto, joined the Parks Canada Agency, at the agency's Ontario office. His responsibilities were such that he undertook projects that, over time, gave him experience with every one of the Parks Canada national historic sites in the province.
John eventually moved from the Ontario office to Kingston, working for some time as the chief of heritage presentation for Bellevue House National Historic Site. When he became the operations manager for Bellevue House, his duties expanded to include responsibility for three of the Kingston Martello towers, Shoal, Cathcart and Murney.
Working for a national organization like Parks Canada often means that employees have the opportunity to expand their experience beyond their set duties. In recent years, John had the good fortune to work on planning for the management of Bellevue House, the Kingston Fortifications National Historic Site and Fort Henry National Historic Site. In addition, he undertook an assignment to become part of a Parks Canada team developing the submission to UNESCO that gained recognition of the Rideau Canal and the Kingston Fortifications as a world heritage site.
In addition to being a member of the CARF board of directors, John plays a role on two other Kingston heritage committees. He is the chair of the Kingston First Capital Committee and a member of the Kingston Historical Society committee that plans the annual Cataraqui Cemetery commemoration of the life and career of Sir John A. Macdonald.
A native of North Bay Ontario, Hugh has been a Kingston resident for the past thirty years. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Waterloo Lutheran University (Now Sir Wilfrid Laurier University) in 1971, a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning degree from Queen's University in 1980, and a Certificate in Municipal Administration from St. Lawrence College in 1977. Hugh has worked in the land use planning field for thirty-seven years and is a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute. He has worked as a municipal planner in North Bay, Burlington, and Kingston, as a planning Consultant in eastern Ontario, and as a contract planner for the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority and for the Ontario Provincial government. Hugh has had a long interest in history and archaeology from both a personal point of view as well as a professional perspective.
Richard joined the Foundation's Board in 2000 and served until the Foundation's AGM in 2009. During this time, he held the offices of Vice-President (two years), President (four years) and Past-President (1 year). He returns to the Board for one year, primarily to assist in the restructuring of the Foundation's operations.
His additional experience includes journalism, public relations and advertising agency management, corporate marketing and executive leadership. He has also served on the Boards of Canadian private and publicly-traded companies and not-for-profit organizations.
Joe Brites divides his time between landlording and the operation of a wholesale business related to the recreational fishing industry. His previous board experiences have included work with both the private and public sectors. He comes to the Board with a prior background in media relations.
Laura Carter works for the Kingston Frontenac Public Library as a Branch Librarian. She earned her undergraduate degree in English and History from Queen's University, and her Master of Information Studies from the University Toronto. She is currently pursuing a Professional Master of Public Administration at Queen's University. Laura's other volunteer activities include representing Eastern Ontario on the executive council of the Ontario Public Library Association and raising funds and awareness for the Kingston Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada.
Peter Gower holds an M.A from Trinity College, Dublin, and an M. Ed from the University of Toronto. He taught Elementary and High School in Bruce and Grey Counties for 29 years, and in Mombasa, Kenya for three years before retiring to Kingston in 2000. He has always had an interest in local history, and dug at Lullingstone Roman Villa, Kent, England, for four summers, and in the mud of the River Thames. In Kingston he has been a member of the Kingston Municipal Heritage Committee for ten years, and is a Director of the Frontenac Heritage Foundation. He edited Kingston Volunteers: The Thing To Do, biographies of those from Kingston and Frontenac County who died in the Great War. He is presently writing The Walk of 1812 (a guide to 1812 Kingston), and on the contributions of Kingston nurses to the Great War.
Gord Sly graduated from Queen's University with degrees in Political Studies and Education. He is a retired high school teacher of History and Economics in Kingston after 28 years with the Limestone Board. He served as the Head of the History and Social Science Department for 14 years at K.C.V.I. He also taught night school Economics for a period at St. Lawrence College.
Upon retirement in 2000, Gord and his wife, Julie, spent three years teaching at an English College in China, in Beijing and Xiamen. For the last two of those years he served as Head Master of the College. Gord was involved in the writing of three textbooks for Ontario high school students, and a number of education units for a website set up by Library and Archives of Canada. With other teachers, including Julie, he co-authored two books published in China. Over the last 15 years he has been a frequent contributor of columns and letters to the Kingston Whig Standard and other local papers.
A graduate of Queen's University, Carol taught 36 years for Limestone District School Board. She is a past member of the Kingston Historical Society Council and currently is a member of the Kingston First Capital Committee and the Ontario Heritage Fair Association.
Carol has written educational guides for the Limestone District School Board, Fort Henry National Historic Site, Kingston First Capital, Historica, Library and Archives Canada, Statistics Canada and Canadian Heritage Canadian Studies as well as co- authoring a grade eight Canadian history textbook. She is heavily involved in the Heritage Fairs program for students in grades 4 - 10 at the local, provincial and national levels.
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