Volume III - ElectricCanadian.com

280\\7lLLIAM IRELAND, publisherr \ and proprietor of The NorthStar, Parry Sound, Out., was bornSeptember i4th, 1852, in the town ofChard, Somersetshire, England. Hisfather was William, and his mother,Mary Ann (Clift) Ireland, who, withtheir family, came to Canada, in 1854.Mr. Ireland was educated in the publicschool of Aurora, Ont., taking a specialcourse, with a view to the requirementsof " The Art preservative of all Arts,"was apprenticed to the printing business,at the Aurora Banner office, in1867, and subsequently completed hisapprenticeship in the offices of TheNewmarket Era and 7/2^-Sarnia Observer. From .Sarnia, he returned to Aurora,taking the position offoreman in the Banner office,which position he held forabout eight years. In January,1880, he purchased7/fe North Star, from theestate of the late B. N.Fisher. Leaving Aurora,he began business on hisown account, when ParrySound was scarcely morethan an organized township.The town is now a thrivingcommunity, of about 2,000population, with the assuranceof a completed railwaywithin one year. Greatprogress has been made inthe development and generalprosperity of the town,all of which The NorthStar has been largely instrumentalin promoting.Mr. Ireland is an activemember of the BaptistChurch, being church clerkand Sabbath School superintendent.He is also amember of the I.O.G.T.and I.O.F. He was municipal clerkof the Township of McDougall, for anumber of years, has been license inspectorfor the district of Parry Sound,since 1884, alld is district secretary ofthe S. S. Association, for the district ofParry Sound. In politics, Mr. Irelandis a rReformer, and for several }earswas secretary of the Reform Associationof the district of Muskoka and ParrySound, therefore The North Star is anexponent of the ethics of Liberalism.Mr. Ireland was married, in June,1874, to Miss Elizabeth Jane Brodie, ofAurora, Ont. His family consists ofone daughter, living.