Dr. Andrew Everett Porter was born at River Hebert, Nova Scotia in 1855. He attended Dalhousie University and later graduated with a degree in Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania in 1876. He received an opportunity to practice medicine in the Northwest Territories, and settled in Prince Albert in 1878 with the distinction of being the first registered physician. Dr. Porter married Marie MacPherson, in 1884, and they had three daughters and one son before Marie died in 1893. Later he returned to Nova Scotia where he married Alice Pugsley of River Hebert, and had two more daughters. Dr. Porter's activities and experiences were somewhat varied. He assisted Lieutenant Governor Laird in negotiating a treaty with Big Bear in 1878. In the area of politics, he ran against D.H. McDowell on the issue of autonomy for the North West. During the Reil Rebellion of 1885, he was appointed a medical officer. He recieved a similar appointment to the 218 O.S. Regiment in World War I, and after the war opened the Frank Sanitorium for tubercular soldier, in Frank, British Columbia. Andrew Porter was also a noted traveller who undertook extensive trips throughout Canada, the United States, the West Indies and South America. He chose Edmonton, however, to continue his medical practice until his retirement in 1928. He died in 1940 at the age of 85.

Kenneth A.H. Buckley was born in Aberdeen, Saskatchewan. He attended public school in Watrous and Saskatoon, and earned his B.A. at the University of Saskatchewan in 1942. Following graduation he joined the Canadian Air Force where he served for a short period before being discharged for medical reasons. He returned to his studies and earned the M.A. degree from the University of Toronto in 1945 and a Ph.D. from the University of London in 1950.
Professor Buckley served as a consultant to all levels of government. Extensive work was undertaken for the City of Saskatoon; his advice was sought on local government problems and Dominion-Provincial financial relations by the Government of Saskatchewan; he undertook extensive work on the South Saskatchewan River Project -- a joint ventureof Federal and Provincial governments; he was frequently consulted by a variety of federal agencies.

Elmer Driedger was born in Osler Saskatchewan in 1913 to a Mennonite family where he learned to speak both German and English. He began classes at the University of Saskatchewan in 1929, earning a BA (1932) and LL.B. (1934). He received a scholarship to Marburg University and later attended Kiel University in 1935, although political developments in Germany forced him to return to Canada before the war. After returning to Saskatchewan, he briefly lectured in company law at the University of Saskatchewan, before going on to pursue his twenty-five year career in the federal Department of Justice, during which he became a leading expert in statutory interpretation, and was eventually made Deputy Minister. He later worked as a professor of law at the University of Ottawa. During his time at the University of Saskatchewan, he participated in various activities, including soccer, hockey, and the debate club.

E. Priest of Carnarvon, England was a teacher and governess until her marriage to Mr. Edward Jones, whereupon the couple immigrated to Canada, beginning their own homestead in Moosomin Saskatchewan. Her sister opened the first school in Moosomin.

Edmund Henry Oliver was born on 8 February 1881 at Chatham Township, Ontario. He attended both the University of Toronto and Columbia University, from which he received a PhD in 1905. From 1905-9 he taught at McMaster University, and then joined the University of Saskatchewan as Professor of History and Economics. He resigned in 1912 to become Principal of St. Andrew's College. During WWI he was Chaplain of the 196th Battalion and in 1917 launched the University of Vimy Ridge. In 1930 he was elected Moderator of the United Church of Canada. Dr. Oliver died suddenly on 11 July 1935.

Edgar Mapletoft was born October 7, 1920 in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. His father, John, and uncle, Charlie, homesteaded in the Fort Pitt District, just north of Lloydminster, on the north side of the North Saskatchewan River in 1911. His parents, John & Martha Mapletoft, had one son, Edgar, and a daughter, Mary Margaret. Edgar grew up and remained in the Fort Pitt District all his life. He attended the School of Agriculture in Saskatoon and in 1941 received his Diploma. Edgar married Florence Patricia Chapman on July 2, 1942 and they raised three sons on the Little Pipestone Ranch just a couple miles from their childhood homes. He died on April 1, 2006. Mr. Mapletoft was an authority on Simmental cattle. He first imported the breed to Canada in 1969 and was a successful breeder for several years. In 1983 he was given the Golden Book Award by the World Simmental Federation. Edgar Mapletoft was also passionate about history of the region he lived, especially the Fort Pitt, Frenchman's Butte and Onion Lake areas, the First Nations, the Métis and the Northwest Rebellion. Edgar always had a strong interest in the native heritage, especially as it applied to the history of the Northwest. He tape-recorded interviews with elders on the reserve who were children at the time of the Northwest Rebellion. His involvement with the Onion Lake First Nation ultimately led to his becoming an Honorary Chief. Mr. Mapletoft also became involved with the Frenchman's Butte Museum; planning, fund-raising and publicizing it. His real passion was telling the story of the Northwest. He and his wife, Pat, looked after the Fort Pitt Historical Campground for several years. After Pat passed away, he continued for awhile and then became involved with farm vacations and providing historical tours. His fame grew and people came from all over the country for his personalized tour.

Hugh Duncan (“Howdy”) McPhail was born 14 March 1915 near Bankend, Saskatchewan. His early schooling was in Prince Albert, and in 1934 he won a hockey scholarship to Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. He attended the University of Saskatchewan from 1938-1942, graduating with a BSc in agricultural economics. Just over a week after writing his final exams, Howdy enlisted in the air force, learning how to fly in a de Havilland Tiger Moth at the Prince Albert Elementary Flying Training School. He served throughout the war, surviving a bail-out over Sweden and flying 28 missions. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for “his unselfishness, splendid record, and high degree of courage…”. Initially a Sask Wheat Pool field man, Howdy established McPhail Airways in North Battleford (later, McPhail Air Services Ltd.) in 1952. During the spring and summer he sprayed crops; offered flying lessons; and began taking aerial photographs of farms and towns throughout the West and extending into BC, Ontario, and the United States. Farm photographs were ordered by the farm owners, often as small prints and in some cases, hand-tinted (a young Allan Sapp was one of the people hired to do this). Products were later expanded to include greeting cards and for images of towns, postcards and calendars. By 1962 he effectively stopped his aerial photography. He continued to operate McPhail Air Services until 1981. He was inducted into the Saskatchewan Aviation Hall of Fame in 1995; into the Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1999; and a park in North Battleford was named in his honour. Howdy died in March 2001. [Source: Bill Waiser, Portraits of an Era).

Harald Finkler formerly headed the Circumpolar Affairs Directorate of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. He was responsible for the international dimension of the Department’s northern mandate, and strengthening cooperation, bilaterally and multilaterally, with Canada’s circumpolar neighbors. Multilaterally, as Director, he oversaw the provision of policy and organizational support to the Arctic Council. Moreover, Harald also acted as Canadian chair of the Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group.
Bilaterally, he guided the Directorate’s initiatives on cooperation with the Russian Federation on the Arctic. In this regard, Harald played a pivotal role in the Directorate’s longstanding contribution to Canada-USSR/Russia arctic cooperation achieved through technical assistance initiatives in building the capacity of the Indigenous Peoples of the Russian North.
Since his retirement, he continues his polar engagement as consultant on northern and indigenous issues.

Harvey Allen McInnes was born on 21 November 1904 in Cobden, Ontario, and moved to Saskatchewan with his family in 1910. His father farmed near Zealandia; following his mother's death in 1939, Harvey joined his father to help him with the family farm. He retired from farming in 1971, but retained the family homestead where he continued to live during the summers. In 1965, his sister gave Harvey a paint-by-number kit. With paint left over, Harvey decided to try his own design, enjoyed it, and began doing artwork during the winter months. He moved from oil to pastels and coloured pencil. In 1974 he put some of his work in the Watrous Art Salon annual show. Regina artist David Thauberger was in attendance, noticed Harvey's work, and helped bring it to the attention of the provincial art community. Entirely self-taught, Harvey's artwork can be found in several private and public collections, including the Mackenzie Art Gallery, the Mendel Art Gallery, the University of Saskatchewan, and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. Harvey died on 17 August 2002.

Dr. Helen Evans Reid, former Head of the Medical Publications Department of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, is the author of All Silent, All Damned : The Search for Issac Barr (Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1969). Reid spent six years and travelled to various countries to carry out her research on Isaac Montgomery Barr. Barr, an Anglican Minister, organized a colony of middle class British immigrants to settle in the Lloydminster area.

Helen Emmeline Shirriff was born 10 January 1898 in Brandon, Manitoba. She married Robert Alexander in 1919; together they farmed at Portreeve, Saskatchewan, until Robert's death in 1955. Helen remained actively involved in the management of the farm until her death. In addition, Helen was a schoolteacher. Her long career in education began in 1916, and took her to various locations throughout the north and west, including Athabaska Landing (1918), Whitehorse (1956), and the Glidden Hutterite Colony (1967). She died in Saskatoon on 6 April 1992.

Henry T. Abley, also often known as Harry, was an organist, choirmaster and composer, born in 1917 in Knighton, Wales. He studied at Trinity College of Music, London. He had fellowships at that college, and the London College of Music, and was an Associate of the Royal College of Organists.

He immigrated to Canada in the late 50s and worked as the organist at St. Luke’s Cathedral in Sault Ste Marie, ON from 1957-1959. From 1961-1967 he worked as the organist at First Baptist Church in Lethbridge, Alberta. Subsequently he worked as an organist and choirmaster at St. John’s Cathedral in Saskatoon, SK from 1968-1977, then at Third Avenue United Church also in Saskatoon, SK from 1979-1985. His last engagement as organist and choirmaster was at Church of the Advent in Montreal from 1985 until his death in 1994.

He was a recitalist known especially in Germany during the 70s and 80s, where he performed frequently in East and West Berlin, Bremen, Norden; as well as Geneva, Switzerland and Oxford and Cambridge, England. He excelled in music of the German School, but was also a fine exponent of Franck, Liszt, and 20th-century composers Olivier Messiaen and Jéhan Alain. Abley was also a composer of mainly sacred works, and his large output occasioned a 1981 concert in Saskatoon composed entirely of his music.

Henry Thomas Wake was born in Whittlebury, England in 1831. He was an antiquarian bookseller and later ran a school for the young members of the Society of Friends. He had eight children with his first wife, Lydia. His second marriage was to Hannah Sadler, also a widow with children (One of whom, Joseph Sadler Wake, was the donor’s grandfather). The Wakes were related to the Hindes through the marriage of daughter Martha “Pattie” Wake to Joseph Hinde. Martha Wake was born in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England in 1869.

Edward McCheane was a Saskatchewan landscape artist, married to Edith Hinde. He immigrated to Canada from Birmingham in 1904, homesteading near Borden Saskatchewan. He later became a designer for Bulman Brothers of Winnipeg, and then for Bailey, Banks, and Biddle of Philadelphia. Family lore has it that during this time, Edward designed the sailor logo for Player’s cigarettes, and sold the design for $50. Edward McCheane returned to Saskatchewan to establish Globe Signs in Saskatoon.