THOMAS COLTRIN KEEFER

Eminent Engineer Took Part in Building Welland Canal

[Welland Tribune, 12 January 1915]

Ottawa, Jan. 7-Thomas Coltrin Keefer, C.F.C.M.G., L.L.D. one of Canada’s most noted engineers, died at his home here today in his 94^th year.

In the death of Mr. Keefer one of the links with the Upper Canadian pioneering age is severed. Born at Thorold, Ont., in 1821, he played as a boy where he was destined to return and play an important part in the performance of one of the biggest engineering feats of the time-the construction of the Welland Canal after having worked as a lad at construction work on the Erie Canal.

Educated at Upper Canada College, Toronto, the late Mr. Keefer commenced his engineering career in 1836, being employed for seven years on canal work, later going to Ottawa, where he was engaged to construct a water works. Montreal and Hamilton also secured his services in the capacity of a water expert.

Railway engineering was his forte. His enterprise and forthrightness in this regard did more for the development of the Prairie Provinces than any other living man, or indeed any Canadian who devoted himself to Canadian development.

In early life he trekked out west, and became imbued with its potentialities and with its capacity as a granary for the Canada of the future. The lure of the west captured him, and he conceived the idea of constructing transcontinental railways. In 1851 Mr. Keefer conducted the preliminary surveys for Grand Trunk Railway, and in 1861/70 he wrote a series of letters advocating the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and one of the satisfactions of his lifetime was to see at least two iron trails stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Mr. Keefer’s primary interest was the opening up of Canada. For this reason he gave his entire attention to the construction of harbors and waterways as well as railways. He was alternately engaged as engineer for the Montreal Harbor Commission and in surveying the St. Lawrence for purposes of navigation.

Pen as well as transit was used by the late Mr. Keefer to further his ambitions. His essay on “The Influence of the Canals of Canada on Her Agriculture” written in 1849, earned for him Lord Elgin’s praise. In 1850 he published his work on the “Philosophy of Railways.” Besides being an engineer of note, the late Mr. Keefer was considered an authority on international trade, or, at least, trade with the United States, and in 1851 he was sent to New York by the Canadian Government to assist the United States Counsel to report on the inter trade relations between the countries north and south of the 49^th parallel. In 1852 he was again sent to the United States to prepare a second report on the same subject. These reports led to the reciprocity treaty of 1854.

The other important positions held by the late Mr. Keefer are as follows: Canadian Commissioner for the International Exhibition at London, 1862; Chief Engineers of Railways in Upper and Lower Canada; Executive Commissioner for Paris, Exhibition, 1878; member for International Jury for Agriculture and Engineering; officer of the Legion of Honor, and member of the International Deep Waterways Commissions, 1895.

For his work in engineering and other fields he was honored by the Imperial Government C.M.G, British, American and Canadian engineering societies; McGill University and the Royal Society of Canada, of which he was President. He also served as President of the Canadian and American Engineering Societies in 1878 and 1888, respectively.

The late Mr. Keefer was descended from United Empire Loyalist stock.