A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography: Brief biographies of persons distinguished in the professional, military and political life, and the commerce and industry of Canada, in the twentieth century
History
A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography: Brief biographies of persons distinguished in the professional, military and political life, and the commerce and industry of Canada, in the twentieth century
Canada -- Biography
Brock Company, Ltd., he was a director of the Dominion Lands
Colonization Co., the British Canadian Loan and Investment Co., Toronto
Electric Light Co., Electrical Development Co., Ontario Accident
Insurance Co., Toronto General Trust Corporation and the Dominion Bank.
He was also President of the British American and Western Assurance
Companies, the Stanstead Granite Quarries Company, London Electric Light
Company, and the Canadian General Electric Company. Mr. Brock was one of
the founders of the “Empire” newspaper, Toronto, and served as President
of the company until its amalgamation with “The Mail” in 1895. For years
he was President of the Toronto Conservative Association and sat in the
House of Commons for Centre Toronto in the Conservative interest from
1900 to 1904. Mr. Brock was also a director and a leading spirit in many
philanthropic organizations. He was a founder and President of the
Toronto Humane Society, a life member of the Council of Trinity
University and of Upper Canada College, and benefactor of both
institutions. He was a member of the congregation of St. James’
Cathedral, and from 1883 to 1890 was a churchwarden. His clubs were:
Toronto Club, York Club, Albany Club, Toronto Hunt Club, Toronto; The
Rideau Club, Ottawa; and St. James’ Club, Montreal. His surviving
children are Lt.-Col. Henry Brock, Lt.-Col. R. A. Brock, Mr. W. L.
Brock, and the Misses Lilian, Gertrude, and Muriel Brock. Mr. Brock died
at his residence, 21 Queen’s Park, Toronto, on November 1, 1917. He was
almost eighty-two years of age, and actively engaged in business up to
within a few days of his death. Although advanced in years Mr. Brock
retained his keen business acumen right through and served to the last
in an advisory capacity to the directors of the W. R. Brock Company. By
virtue of exceptional ability, organizing genius, hard work,
adaptability, generosity and an appreciative attitude toward those in
his employment, he was able to develop one of the outstanding mercantile
houses of the Dominion. He held the esteem of the merchants in
practically all the primary markets of the world. In Canadian industry
he was declared to be an international figure. The memory of William
Rees Brock will long live as a man noted for his commercial integrity,
splendid philanthropy, and public enterprises. He was endowed with a
winning personality, and his influence in public affairs was always for
good. He was a staunch supporter of British Connection, and believed in
promoting closer trade relations between Canada and the Mother Country.
He lived a long, useful, and upright life, an inspiration to others, who
would merit the approval of their fellows, and the close of a career so
full of years and honors was regarded as a public loss.
[Illustration: THE LATE M. F. BEACH]
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