- Alexander Muir
Alexander Muir (
5 April 1830 nearLanark –26 June 1906 ) was a songwriter, poet and school headmaster. A childhood immigrant toCanada from his nativeScotland , he grew up inToronto, Ontario , and studied at Queen's College, where he graduated in 1851. He taught in theGreater Toronto Area in such places as Toronto, as well as in Newmarket, Beaverton, and in then suburban areas asParkdale andLeslieville , where he lived on Laing Avenue. Muir's claim to fame was the song "The Maple Leaf Forever ", composed in 1867 to celebrate theConfederation of Canada . He was later (1888-1901) principal of Toronto's "Gladstone Avenue Public School" (renamed after his death in his honour). A school named Alexmuir Jr. PS is named after him, located inScarborough, Ontario , Canada. Also, there is an Alex Muir Public School named in his honour inSault Ste. Marie, Ontario .Muir was a noted Canadian Orangeman. He also served with
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada , and fought with them at theBattle of Ridgeway . He wroteThe Maple Leaf Forever while serving with the regiment.A formal garden and park just south of Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue in
Toronto is named in his honour,External links
* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0002484 Alexander Muir] at
The Canadian Encyclopedia
* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=6946 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
* [http://www.utoronto.ca/icm/0101b.html Article on Maple Cottage, Leslieville (Toronto) and "The Maple Leaf Forever"]
* [http://www.louisbourg.ca/music/themapleleafforever.mp3 The Maple Leaf Forever MP3]
* [http://members.shaw.ca/tunebook/mapleaf.mid The Maple Leaf Forever MIDI File]
* [http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/m2/f7/17304.mp3 The Maple Leaf Forever Johnson, Edward, 1878-1959]
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