Toronto's Historical Plaques

Learn a little of Toronto's history as told through its plaques.

The Right Honourable Lester Bowles Pearson 1897-1972

Right Honourable Lester Pearson

In front of this church at 53 Cummer Avenue stands an Ontario Heritage Foundation plaque which tells us this about Mr. Pearson:

Born in the Newtonbrook Methodist parsonage which stood nearby, Pearson was educated at Toronto and Oxford Universities. He served overseas from 1915 to 1918 and, in 1928, joined the Department of External Affairs. During a brilliant diplomatic career he was Canadian Ambassador to the United States and later Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs. Appointed to the cabinet in 1948, he was elected to Parliament for Algoma East. In 1958 he became leader of the Liberal Party and was Prime Minister from 1963 to 1968. Active in the United Nations from its inception, Pearson was president of the General Assembly, 1951-52, played a major role in settling the Suez Crisis of 1956, and was the first Canadian to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Location Co-ordinates: 43.787311 -79.415064

Map Right Honourable Lester Pearson

Photo by Alan L Brown - March 2004

Related page:
Birthplace of Lester Pearson

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