Member Biography
James Edward Gray
(1880.10.12 - 1964.06.17)
Ba Sc, DLS, ALS, SLS
Commission #041 (1912.04.15)
James Edward Gray, the son of William and Ellen Gray of Uxbridge, Ontario, was born October 12, 1880.
Mr. Gray received his primary and secondary education
in the public and high schools in Uxbridge. He was in the
1909 class at the little red school house, School of
Practical Science, University of Toronto, and our own
John E. Jackson can clearly recall Mr. Gray as one of his
class-mates. Following his graduation from the University
of Toronto, he obtained his surveyor's certificate as
a Dominion Land Surveyor, an Alberta Land Surveyor and a
Saskatchewan Land Surveyor. It was to be sometime later
that Mr. Gray decided to secure his commission to
practice as an Ontario Land Surveyor, and which he
obtained in the year 1937.
The early part of Mr. Gray's surveying career was
spent in the western part of Canada with both the
Department of Interior and with Messrs. Murphy and
Underwood, surveyors in Saskatoon. For twelve years prior
to joining the Ontario Department of Highways in 1937, he
was employed with the Canadian National Railways on
survey and engineering work. Following his employment
with the Ontario Department of Highways between the years
19371941, he started a small surveying practice in the
western part of Toronto. His later years were spew
gardening, fruit farming and traveling in Florida and
Mexico during the winter months.
Mr. Gray, a bachelor, was a strict vegetarian and this
presented many problems to him when he was engaged in
surveys in out-of-the-way places.
Mr. Gray died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Toronto on
June 17, 1964. He leaves two nieces, Mrs. H. L. Smith of
Ottawa and Miss Betty Gray of Cochrane, and also a
nephew, Mr. John N. Gray, P. Eng., of Brampton.
Report of the OLSA Committee on Biography
(See also biography on Alberta Land Surveyors Association web site.)
