James A. Vance (1892–1981): from Punkeydoodles Corners to National Prominence

The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering awards the James A. Vance Medal annually to an individual “whose dedicated service has furthered the advancement of the CSCE”. This paper briefly explores Vance’s life and career. Vance quit his studies at the University of Toronto’s School of Practical Science to assume control of the family construction company in Woodstock in 1914, when he was just 22. He became active with the London Branch of the Engineering Institute of Canada in the 1930s and served as EIC President in 1950–1951. In 1955, he was named a member the Ontario Water Resources and Supply Committee. He later became Commissioner of the Ontario Water Resources Commission and so in September 1964 attended the sod-turning ceremony at Grand Bend to build the pipeline that supplies London with fresh water. He also had a role in creating the engineering school at Western and in 1959 received an Honorary Degree from Western. He was, in the words of Western President G. Edward Hall, “a man who finds time to do fine things for others.”