Roger Melville Lee

(1882.?.? – ?.?.?)
B.A.Sc, OLS, DLS, SLS
Commission #034
(1911.04.30)

One of the first survey firms to practice engineering and land surveying after our Saskatchewan Land Surveyors Association was formed in 1910 was the Saskatoon partnership of ‘’Phillips, Stewart and Lee’’. Mr. Lee remained with the group until 1915 when he returned to his home Province of Ontario.

Born in the Township of North Dumphries, near Galt, Ontario in November 1881, in the Cedar Creek Road Area. He attended the Dickie Settlement #25 public school and the Galt Collegiate Institute. It is noted that he was one of the best football and hockey players in the area.

His first job after high school was with American Radiator Company in Buffalo, New York. Not being cut out for inside work he quit and apprenticed as a land surveyor in Hamilton, Ontario. While obtaining his commission as an Ontario Land Surveyor in 1909 he also graduated as a Civil Engineer via a correspondence course through Queen’s University. In 1911 he completed his Dominion Land Surveyor’s commission, came west to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, obtained his Saskatchewan Land Surveyor’s commission, number 34 in 1911 and then teamed up with H.G.Phillips, SLS and William Stewart SLS.

Roger married Jane Pollock from Ontario in 1911 and they had a daughter and son. The family returned to Ontario in 1915 where Mr. Lee entered into partnership with Mr. A.M. Jackson OLS, in Brantford, Ontario. After World War 1 the firm became ‘’Lee and Nash’’. Mr. Lee remained with the firm until 1929 when he was appointed County Engineer for the County of Brant. Evidently he was well respected for his knowledge pertaining to engineering for drainage, road and bridge buidling along with his surveying skills.

Quote from the Ontario Biography of Mr. Lee:

Among many lasting memories of his services in Brant County were many beauty spots, roadside parks and reforesting projects that were created by him in an effort to beautify Brant County, its roadside and rural areas as well as many bridges, such as the Cockshutt Bridge (built in 1933), spanning the Grand River, and many others, built under his capable direction.

Mr. Lee was a Past President of the Ontario Land Surveyors Association. His other activities included membership with Reba Lodge AF and A.M; member and Past President of the Brantford Club; member Brantford Golf Club and Ava Golf Club; member Brantford Bridge Club along with being on the executive of the Engineers Golf Association. Mrs. Lee predeceased him in 1941. Due to ill health Mr. Lee retired in 1957 and died in 1958.

Most of the above was collected from the Ontario Land Surveyors Association website.