Not surprisingly given its location, many senior civil servants have lived in Sandy Hill over the years. With some exceptions, e.g., Edmund Meredith whose diary inspired Sandra Gwyn’s The Private Capital, they have left few public memoirs about their lives here. The individuals mentioned below represent therefore but a small sub-set of the large number who have resided in the neighbourhood.
John Joseph McGee
1845-1927 Born in Ireland, McGee was the longest-serving Clerk of the Privy Council, filling the position for almost 25 years exactly, from May 20, 1882, to May 5, 1907. His full title was Clerk of... Read More
Sir Lyman Duff
Duff served as a member of the Supreme Court of Canada for a record 38 years, 11 of them as Chief Justice. He retired at age 79, having had his term as Chief Justice extended... Read More
John Graham
1867 – 1921 Born in Ottawa on July 1, 1867, the day Confederation came into effect, John William Graham lived at 74 Laurier Ave. E, next door to the fire station (which has since moved).... Read More
Charles Eugène Panet
1829-1898 Lawyer, coroner, soldier, senator (for less than a year: he resigned to join the civil service) and Deputy- Minister of Militia and Defence (1875 to 1898), Panet was the grand-son of the first speaker... Read More
John Mortimer Courtney
1838-1920 Courtney served as Deputy Minister of Finance for 28 years between 1878 and 1906. In 1908, his Royal Commission on public service reform recommended the introduction of competitive exams for new hires to create... Read More