Date Published:
March 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Ernest John Chambers

Chambers, Ernest John (18621925), author, was born at Penkridge, Staffordshire, England, on April 16, 1862, the son of Edward Thomas Chambers, and the younger brother of E. T. D. Chambers. He came to Canada as a child, and was educated at the Montreal High School. He became a journalist, and was chief correspondent of the Montreal Star during the North West Rebellion of 1885. In 1904 he was appointed gentleman usher of the black rod at Ottawa ; and he held this post for the rest of his life. From his youth he was an officer in the militia, and in 1915 was promoted to the rank of lieut.-colonel in the Corps of Guides. At the outbreak of the Great War he was appointed censor at Military Headquarters, Ottawa, and in 1915 chief press censor for Canada. He died at Ottawa on May 11, 1925. For many years he edited the Canadian parliamentary guide; and he was the author of The book of Montreal (Montreal, 1903), The book of Canada (Montreal, 1905), The Canadian marine (Toronto, 1905), The Canadian militia (Montreal, 1907), The unexploited west (Ottawa, 1914), The Athabaska country (Ottawa, 1916), and The Peace River country, as well as the following regimental histories: The origin and services of the 32nd (Montreal) Field Battery of Artillery (Montreal, 1898), The Montreal Highland Cadets (Montreal, 1901), The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada (Toronto, 1901), The Governor-General's Body Guard (Toronto, 1902), The Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifles (Toronto, 1903), The Third Regiment, Active Militia of Canada (Ottawa, 1903), The Royal Grenadiers (Toronto, 1904), The Fifth Regiment, Royal Scots of Canada Highlanders (Montreal, 1904), Histoire du 65ème Regiment (Montreal, 1906, and The Royal North West Mounted Police (Montreal, 1906).

Source  : W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. II, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 411p., p. 29.