Sir Kazimierz Stanislaus Gzowski, KCMG (March 5, 1813 – August 24, 1898), was an
engineerEngineers are concerned with developing economical and safe solutions to practical problems, by applying mathematics and scientific knowledge while considering technical constraints. The term is derived from the Latin root "ingenium," meaning "cleverness"...
who served as acting
Lieutenant Governor of OntarioThe Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is the viceregal representative in Ontario of, as she operates in the provincial jurisdiction, the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom...
from 1896 to 1897.
Gzowski was born in
Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
to a noble
PolishPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
father who served with the
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n military.
He emigrated with his family to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the
Polish revoltThe November Uprising —also known as the Cadet Revolution—was an armed rebellion against the rule of the Russian Empire in Poland and Lithuania. The uprising began on November 29, 1830 in Warsaw when a group of young non-commissioned officer conspirators from the Imperial Russian Army's...
against Russia in 1830. He knew no English, but began to study law and was admitted to practice. His father was an engineer, and as this became his primary interest, Kazimierz became involved in railway construction in the United States. Eventually he was hired as an engineer to help in the construction of the New York and Erie Railway.
In 1841 he moved to
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to work on the
Welland CanalThe Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada, that runs 42 km from Port Colborne, Ontario on Lake Erie to Port Weller, Ontario on Lake Ontario. As part of the St...
, and also helped finish the building of
Yonge StreetYonge Street is a major arterial street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and its northern suburbs. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at 1896 km, and is a national historic site....
and other projects, for the Department of Public Works in southern Ontario, he settled in
LondonLondon is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor with a metropolitan area population of 457,720; the city proper had a population of 352,395 in the 2006 Canadian census....
.
In 1849 Gzowski was hired as a railway contractor by the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railway. The new president of this reorganized company,
Alexander Tilloch GaltSir Alexander Tilloch Galt, GCMG, PC was an English-Canadian politician, and a father of Canadian Confederation....
and other directors were dissatisfied with the work of the Montreal contractors. Accepting Galt's offer as
Chief Engineer, in charge of construction, Gzowski moved his family to Sherbrooke.
The purpose of the
St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railway, along with its American partner, the
Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railway, was to provide a route for the traffic of the St. Lawrence River and
Ottawa RiverThe Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It defines for most of its length the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
at the port of
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
, with the ice-free Atlantic port of
Portland, MainePortland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2007 estimated city population was 62,875. Portland is Maine's cultural, social and economic capital. It is also the principal city of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area, with...
. By 1850, however, promoters of this project learned of plans by
BostonBoston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England"...
interests to build a railway from
Lake ChamplainLake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada – United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, to
OgdensburgOgdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 12,364 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
, opposite
PrescottPrescott is a town of approximately 4,180 people on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada. The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, 5 km east of Prescott in Johnstown, connects it with Ogdensburg, New York...
, on the route of the projected Bytown & Prescott Railway.
In 1850, Galt, along with
Luther Hamilton HoltonLuther Hamilton Holton was a Quebec businessman and political figure. He represented Châteauguay as a Liberal member in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1880.- Early life and education :...
,
David Lewis MacphersonSir David Lewis Macpherson, KCMG, PC was a Canadian businessman and political figure. He was a member of the Senate of Canada from 1867 to 1896. He was knighted for his service to the country in 1884....
and other directors of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic, formed a committee which took steps to secure a charter for the building of a railway between Montreal and Kingston. Several possible routes were considered. At a public meeting held in Montreal, to discuss this project, the committee delegated Gzowski to make a detailed survey of two routes. One along Ottawa River valley through and the other, about 15 miles inland from the St, Lawrence River.
In 1851 the Montreal and Kingston Railway Committee commissioned another well known Canadian engineer and future associate of Gzowski,
Walter ShanlyWalter Shanly was a Canadian civil engineer, author, businessman, and politician.Born in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland, the son James Shanly and Frances Elizabeth Mulvany, he immigrated to Upper Canada in 1836....
, to make another survey of the Montreal-Kingston route. He decided in favour of the line closely paralleling the shore of the St. Lawrence River and running through
CornwallCornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
and
PrescottPrescott is a town of approximately 4,180 people on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada. The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, 5 km east of Prescott in Johnstown, connects it with Ogdensburg, New York...
. This was the route adopted by the
Grand Trunk RailwayThe Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
between Montreal, Kingston and Toronto.
The idea of a Main Line of railway through the
Province of CanadaThe Province of Canada or the United Province of Canada was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of 1837.The Province of...
had been on the minds of Canadians for some time, the government proposed to build a line from Montreal to Windsor or to Sarnia. For that part of the route east of Montreal, Premier
Francis HincksSir Francis Hincks, PC was a Canadian politician.Born in Cork, Ireland, he was the son of Thomas Dix Hincks an orientalist, naturalist and Presbyterian minister and the brother of Edward Hincks orientalist, naturalist and clergyman.He moved to York in 1832 and set up an importing business there...
turned the first sod on Quebec Richmond Railway, January 7, 1852. The government intended to close the gap between Richmond and Montreal, by using the St Lawrence and Atlantic Railway. Galt and his associates from Montreal obtained a charter for their Montreal and Kingston Railway, August 30, 1851.
Francis Hincks turned the plans for the railway scheme, over to private interests in 1852, awarding contracts for the Kingston to Toronto section and Montreal to Kingston Railway, to the British contracting firm Peto, Brassey Jackson and Betts, a move that led to the formation of the
Grand Trunk RailwayThe Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
. While Galt had intended to secure the funds to build the Montreal and Kingston Railway, he did not have the resources to compete with Peto, Brassey Jackson and Betts.
Galt and his partners saw great possibilities in the construction of a railway west of Toronto. In 1852 through some skillful financial manipulation they managed to get control of most of the stock in the
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
and
GuelphGuelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
Railway, chartered in 1851. As the contractors of this railway, Gzowski & Co. was made up mostly with Casimer Gzowski and David Lewis Macpherson. The Toronto and Guelph Railway was taken over by Grand Trunk, though Gzowski & Co. continued as the contractors of the line between Guelph and Sarnia as well as other sections of the GTR in
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
and
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
In 1856 Gzowski & Co. was granted the right to cut timber in berths on the Moon River in Muskoka, likely as a source of materials for railway construction. In 1858 Gzowski was granted timber licenses on the Whitefish River and on the South River in
Northeastern OntarioNortheastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of Algoma District, Sudbury District, Cochrane District, Timiskaming District, Nipissing District, Manitoulin District and the single-tier...
, some of these license records show Gzowski and Macpherson, in partnership with another Muskoka lumberman,
Walter MoberlyWalter Moberly may refer to:*Walter Moberly , British-born civil engineer active in Canada*Walter Hamilton Moberly , British academic and author of Crisis in the University...
. These licenses were not reinstated after that year, by that time Moberly was on his way to make his mark in
Canadian Railway History.
As president of the Toronto Turf Club, in 1859 Gzowski was a prime factor in the creation of the
Queen's PlateThe Queen's Plate is North America's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each June at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
, the first organized
thoroughbredThe Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word "thoroughbred" is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse raceHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. It is inextricably associated with gambling...
in
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
. Sir Casimir was instrumental in organizing the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, where he served as its president from 1889 until 1891, and founded Canada's first rifle association. He was also the first Commissioner of the
Niagara Parks CommissionThe Niagara Parks Commission, or Niagara Parks for short, is an agency of government of Ontario which maintains the Ontario shoreline of the Niagara River.- History :The Commission was founded in 1885 with Casimir Gzowski as the Commissioner...
.
He was knighted by
Queen VictoriaVictoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India of the British Raj from 1 May 1876, until her death...
in 1890, and, as a personal friend of Sir
John A. MacdonaldSir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , was the first Prime Minister of Canada and the dominant figure of Canadian Confederation. Macdonald's tenure in office spanned 18 years, making him the second longest serving Prime Minister of Canada. He is the only Canadian Prime Minister to win...
, was linked to the
Conservative PartyThe Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
, even acting as an interim Lieutenant Governor before
Oliver MowatSir Oliver Mowat, GCMG, PC, QC was a Canadian politician, and premier of Ontario from 1872 to 1896, making him the longest serving premier of that province and the 3rd longest in all of Canadian history...
took office in 1897. As a prominent Polish-Canadian, Gzowski was President of the
Canadian Polish CongressThe Canadian-Polish Congress , is an umbrella organization founded in 1944 by Polish-Canadians in Canada to coordinate the activities and to articulate the concerns of the Canadian Polish community on public policy issues....
, overseeing over 240 other Polish organizations of an educational nature, cultural nature, and professional nature. He died in 1898 in
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
.
A monument to his achievements exists in Casimir Gzowski Park, on the Lake Ontario waterfront, in Toronto, to the east of the Humber River.
Casimir Gzowski was the great-grandfather of
CBCThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. In French, it is called la Société Radio-Canada...
radio personality
Peter GzowskiPeter Gzowski, CC was a popular Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter, most famous for his work on the CBC radio show Morningside. His biographer has argued that Gzowski's contribution to Canadian media must be considered in the context of efforts by a generation of Canadian nationalists to...
.
External links