There is a widespread belief that Ontario’s Tiny and Tay townships were named for Elizabeth Simcoe’s dogs. In fact, Tiny, Tay (and a third named Flos) were King Charles spaniels who belonged to the Maitlands: Sir Peregrine and his second wife, Lady Sarah Lennox, while he served as fourth lieutenant governor of Upper Canada (1818-1828). It is true, however, that Elizabeth Simcoe’s life was full of animals: living, stuffed, studied, and otherwise enjoyed. Their stories provi

The war of 1812 is very much on my mind this week – for obvious reasons! That existential crisis for the Province of Canada left an indelible mark in myth and memory. But there is one aspect of the story that is not so well known and merits a little attention. Part of it is the intriguing role played by Elizabeth Simcoe. One afternoon in the early 1950s, Colonel C.P. Stacey came across a fascinating report published in 1817, tucked away in the collection of the Royal Empi