James H. Burd

(1871.09.07 - 1951.09.09)
SPS, OLS, DLS, SLS, ALS
Commission #038 (1911.07.10)

Born in King Township, York County, Ontario, on September 7th, 1871. Mr. Burd moved with his family in his very early years to Parry Sound Ontario. There in the public and high schools he received his earlier education and then attended the School of Practical Science (now Toronto University) taking a civil engineering course and graduated in 1904 with the degree of B.A.Sc.

He was admitted to practice as an Ontario Land Surveyor on October 2nd, 1905. He had worked in 1904 and 1905 summer periods with the town engineer of Smith's Falls, Ontario. Upon receiving his OLS commission he joined the staff of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway at North Bay as the OLS for the right of way surveys for the railway line then being built northwards from North Bay.

His later history has only been obtainable in brief and in that form is:

  • 1906-Private practice in the Cobalt area and at Sudbury Ontario;

  • 1907- 1911 - Private practice at Sudbury, during which time he did work for the Ontario Government which included:

    • 1908 - Base on Meridian lines in Algoma district; 1909-Portion of Mississagi Forest Reserve outline;

    • 1910 - Survey of islands in Georgian Bay;

    • 1910 - Mining claim surveys at Sudbury and joined the McKenzie and Mann organization then building the Canadian Northern Railway;

  • 1911-1936 - In the employ of the Canadian Northern Railway which became a unit of the Canadian National Railways.

He was retired there from on September 30th, 1936, at the age of 65 and having served the CNR continuously for 25 years.

In connection with his CNR right-of-way work he had been admitted to practice as an Alberta Land Surveyor and spent many years in Edmonton.

In December 1908 he married Ida Irwin of Sudbury.

Mr. Burd died September 9th, 1951.

Association of Ontario Land Surveyors Committee on Biography