John Ross Robertson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Ross Robertson
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| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Toronto East |
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| In office 1896–1900 |
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| Preceded by | Emerson Coatsworth |
| Succeeded by | Albert Edward Kemp |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 28, 1841 Toronto, Canada West |
| Died | May 31, 1918 (aged 76) Toronto, Ontario |
| Political party | Independent Conservative |
John Ross Robertson (born December 28, 1841 – died May 31, 1918) was a very important Canadian. He was known for publishing newspapers, being a politician, and helping others through charity work in Toronto, Ontario.
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Starting a Career in Publishing
John Ross Robertson was born in Toronto in 1841. His father, John Robertson, was a merchant from Scotland. John Ross went to Upper Canada College, which is a private high school in Toronto.
Even as a young student, he loved newspapers. He started a newspaper at his school called Young Canada. He also created a funny weekly magazine called The Grumbler in 1864. The Grumbler became one of his most famous publications.
Working as a Reporter
After school, John Ross Robertson worked as a reporter for The Globe newspaper in Toronto. He later became the city editor. However, he soon left The Globe to start his own newspaper, The Toronto Daily Telegraph, in 1866. This paper ran for five years.
After that, Robertson went to England to work as a reporter for The Globe again. He came back to Toronto in 1876. He borrowed $10,000 from his friend Goldwin Smith. This money helped him start a new newspaper, the Toronto Evening Telegram.
Success with the Evening Telegram
The Toronto Evening Telegram was a huge success right away. Robertson wrote a popular column in the paper about famous places in Toronto. These columns were later collected into a six-volume book called Robertson's Landmarks of Toronto. Because of his newspaper's success, Robertson became a very wealthy man.
Serving as a Politician
John Ross Robertson also entered politics. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada. He represented the area of Toronto East. This happened in the 1896 Canadian federal election. He won against the person who held the seat before him, Emerson Coatsworth.
Robertson was an Independent Conservative. This means he was a Conservative but didn't always follow the party line. He decided not to run for re-election in 1900.
Supporting Amateur Sports
Robertson cared a lot about sports, especially amateur sports. Amateur sports are played for fun, not for money. He was the president of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) from 1899 to 1905. This was a very important time for hockey.
Protecting Hockey's Spirit
He worked hard to keep professional players out of hockey. He believed that hockey should be played by amateurs. Because of his efforts, he was called the "father of Amateur Hockey in Ontario." During his time as president, the OHA created rules to define what a professional player was. He also tried to stop violence in hockey games.
Robertson gave three trophies to the OHA for their yearly playoff winners. These trophies were all named the J. Ross Robertson Cup. One was for the senior division, one for the intermediate division, and one for the junior division. He also gave silver trophies for cricket and bowling. This encouraged more amateur competitions. In 1947, he was honored by being added to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Helping Children and Toronto
John Ross Robertson was also a great historian of Toronto. His home was full of thousands of books and pictures about early Toronto. In his will, he left his large collection of historical maps and paintings to the people of Toronto.
A Family Tragedy and a New Mission
In 1881, a sad event changed Robertson's life. His daughter Helen and his niece Gracie both died from scarlet fever on the same day. This deeply affected his wife, Maria Robertson. After she recovered from her grief, Maria started volunteering at a new hospital for children.
One day, Maria convinced her husband to visit the hospital. Robertson was shocked by what he saw. The hospital had very little money. Children were sleeping on torn mattresses in dirty rooms. The next day, Robertson sent a cartload of beds and bedding. This moment started a new mission for him that would last the rest of his life.
Building the Lakeside Home
In 1883, Robertson paid to build The Lakeside Home for Little Children. This hospital was on Toronto Island. It was a place for children to recover from illnesses. It was usually open from June to September. The Lakeside Home was destroyed by a fire in 1915. Temporary buildings were used until 1928. Schools often donated money to help maintain beds at the Lakeside Home.
Creating a World-Class Hospital
Robertson realized that Toronto needed a much bigger hospital for children. He traveled to Europe and the United States to visit children's hospitals. He wanted the hospital in Toronto to be one of the best in the world. He found his ideal hospital in Glasgow, Scotland.
He asked the Scottish architect who designed that hospital to draw plans for the new Toronto hospital. He gave these plans to Toronto architects Darling and Curry. The new building became a reality. On June 10, 1889, Robertson's seven-year-old son helped start the construction. The new hospital was built on College Street.
Robertson raised money for the new hospital in many ways. He used his newspaper to get public support. He also got help from important citizens in the city. The Toronto Council also gave a large grant of $20,000.
Improving Child Health with Milk
In the early 1900s, Robertson learned about pasteurized milk. This is milk that has been heated to kill germs. He sent his sister to New York City to learn how to pasteurize milk. The hospital then got a special plant to provide pasteurized milk for babies. This helped reduce the number of babies who died from illness. If families couldn't afford the milk, the hospital gave it to them for free. To make sure the bottles were returned, they made them with rounded bottoms so they couldn't stand up on a flat surface.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1902, Robertson was given an important role as Grand Junior Warden of England. He also became the first president of the Canadian Copyright Association. A few years later, he was offered Knighthood, a special honor, but he chose not to accept it.
Robertson became the Chairman of the Hospital for Sick Children in 1891. He stayed in this role until he passed away in 1918. In 1951, the hospital moved to its current building on University Avenue.
He left his huge collection of books to the Toronto Public Library. He also helped start a children's home. He left a lot of money to the Hospital for Sick Children. The John Ross Robertson Public School, an elementary school in Toronto, is named after him. It is located at 130 Glengrove Avenue West. The school's construction began shortly after he died.
