In Pursuit of Tomorrow, The Inventive Life of Sir Sandford Fleming

We explore the remarkable life and achievement of Sir Sandford Fleming – a true polymath whose contributions helped build Canada and influenced the modern world.  One of Canada’s most influential engineers, surveyors, and inventors, Fleming is best…

We explore the remarkable life and achievement of Sir Sandford Fleming – a true polymath whose contributions helped build Canada and influenced the modern world.  One of Canada’s most influential engineers, surveyors, and inventors, Fleming is best known for championing the system of standard time zones that is used internationally.  He played a leading role in surveying and planning the Canadian Pacific Railway, designed Canada’s first postage stamp and served as Chancellor of Queen’s University for more than three decades.  Fleming also had a direct connection to Cobourg.  In 1847, when he was just 20 years old, the Cobourg Board of Police commisioned him to prepare a detailed map of the town.  The map remains one of the most important visual records of early Cobourg.

John Boyko, author of 10 books and Councillor for Selwyn Township’s Lakefield Ward, is a knowledgeable and engaging speaker. John has enjoyed a career in education, teaching history and politics in Peel County, then returning home as Head of History of Lakefield District Secondary School, then to Lakefield College School as Dean of Social Sciences and then Director of Summer Programs.  John retired in June 2022.

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