Hon. James Chalmers McRuer

1890 - 1985  (95 years)

• Name	James Chalmers McRuer
  Prefix	Hon.
  Born	23 Aug 1890	Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-339575
  Died	6 Oct 1985	Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Cause: Cause: Heart Attack
  Buried	9 Oct 1985	Ayr Cemetery, Ayr, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Person ID	I339575	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	John McRuer,   b. CALC 16 Mar 1851, Lachute, Argenteuil Co., Quebec ,   d. 28 Jun 1935, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 84 years)
  Mother	Mary Chalmers,   b. 1857, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 22 Jul 1940, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 83 years)
  Married	4 Dec 1883	Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  Family ID	F248148	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Robena Mary Dow,   b. 23 Nov 1903, , Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. 20 Dec 1992, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 89 years)
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F248217	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Mary Rowena Dow,   b. 21 Dec 1894, West Garafraxa Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario ,   d. 1966  (Age 71 years)
  Married	27 Sep 1919	Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada   [5]
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F248218	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  J. C. McRuer Ayr Native James Chalmers McRuer, one of the most distinguished figures in Ontario legal history. died of a heart attack on Sunday in Toronto. He was 95 Two weeks earlier, the former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario had attended the unveiling of a bust in his honour at Osgoode Hall. Mr. McRuer, who conducted a one-man royal commission into civil rights in Ontario in 1964, also was chairman of the Ontario Law Reform Commission from 1964 to 1966 and vice-chairman from 1967 to 1977. A staunch Liberal, he was appointed to the bench during Mackenzie King's tenure as prime minister, becoming a judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal In December, 1945, he was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario, trial division. But it was a Conservative premier of Ontario - John Robarts \emdash who, in 1964, chose him to conduct what Mr. McRuer described as "the most important royal commission appointed in my time." The civil-rights commission was designed to sweep away the dark clouds of Ontario's so-called police-state bill, introduced and withdrawn, after a public outcry, by the Robarts government. The job of the commission, whose broad terms of reference included the administration of justice in Ontario, was to study whether provincial laws and regulations had im-pinged on citizens' rights. In 1935, Mr. McRuer was chief council for a royal commission on textiles; in 1938, he was a member of royal commission on the penal system of Canada; in 1954, he was appointed chairman of a royal commission on the law relating to criminal sexual psycopaths; and, in 1956, he became chairman ofa royal commission on insanity as defence in capital cases. An advocate of treating dangerous drivers as common criminals, he made a controversial ruling in December, 1958. quashing a conviction on the grounds that reckless driving should he prosecuted under federal statues. not the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario. Born in 1890, Mr. McRuer began his legal career in 1913 after attending the University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall Law School and Laval University. He served as a lieutenant in the First World War. Mr. McRuer was born on the McRuer family farm, townline, RR 3, Ayr, a son of the late John McRuer and Mary Chalmers. Beloved husband of Robena Dow and of the late Mary Dow. He is survived by his children Mary Louise Gaby, Katherine Rea McIntyre, John Dow McRuer, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. Funeral service will be held at Bloor Street United Church, 300 Bloor Street West, Toronto at 2: 30 p.m. today (Wed.) Interment will be at Ayr Cemetery from the chapel at 2: 30 p.m. Thursday. The Ayr News Oct 9 1985 pg 11

  
  

• Sources

  [S57] Vit - ON - Birth Registration. Name: James Chalmers Date of Birth: 23 Aug 1890 Gender: Male Birth Place: Oxford, Ontario, Canada Father's name: John Mc Ruer Mother's name: Mary Chalmers [S367] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Ayr - Ayr Public CC#4489 Internet Link . McRuer/ In Loving memory of/ William J. McRuer/ Feb. 4, 1891 - Nov. 21, 1970/ his wife/ Dora Cochrane/ July 20, 1899 - Feb. 14, 1984/ John A. Henderson/ Feb. 6, 1932 - Oct. 24, 2009/ His wife Dorothy E. McRuer/ Aug. 16, 1937 - / [Back/West] McRuer/ In Loving memory of/ Robert A. McRuer/ Aug. 18, 1897 - Feb. 3, 1988/ his wife/ Marion M. Lillico/ June 27, 1906 - Jan. 21, 1961/ son/ Donald William McRuer/ July 6, 1930 - Feb. 20, 1981/ at Rest [S367] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Ayr - Ayr Public CC#4489 Internet Link . McRuer/ Hon. James Chalmers McRuer O.C./ Aug. 23, 1890/ Oct. 6, 1985 [Left/South] His wife/ Robena Dow/ McRuer/ 1903 - 1992 [Right/North] His wife/ Mary Dow/ McRuer/ 1894 - 1966 [A] In Loving memory of/ Mary Dow McRuer/ beloved wife of/ Honourable James C. McRuer/ 1894 - 1966 [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration. Name: Mary Chalmers Age: 25 Birth Date: abt 1858 Birth Place: Wellesley, Ontario Marriage Date: 4 Dec 1883 Marriage County or District: Waterloo Father: John Chalmers Chalmers Mother: Margareth Chalmers Spouse :John McRuar Spouse's Age: 32 Spouse Birth Date: abt 1851 Spouse Birth Place: Canada Spouse Father: John Mcruar McRuar Spouse Mother: Janet McRuar [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration. Name: Mary Rowena Dow Age: 24 Birth Date: abt 1895 Birth Place: Belwood, Ontario Marriage Date: 27 Sep 1919 Marriage County or District: York Father: James Dow Mother: Katharine Louise Armstrong Dow Spouse: James Chalmers McRuer Spouse's Age: 29 Spouse Birth Date: abt 1890 Spouse Birth Place: Oxford Spouse Father: John McRuer Spouse Mother: Mary Chalmers

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 23 Aug 1890 - Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada Married - 27 Sep 1919 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: Cause: Heart Attack - 6 Oct 1985 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Buried - 9 Oct 1985 - Ayr Cemetery, Ayr, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth