James Nevin Wallace

Mr. Wallace was born in Dublin, Ireland, August 21st, 1870, and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1893, with the degrees of Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Arts, and was gold medallist of his graduating class.

He came to Canada in 1895 and was commissioned as an Ontario Land Surveyor in 1898, and as a Dominion Land Surveyor in 1900. In 1937, he was made a life member of the Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association of which he had been a member since 1911. Most of his survey practice was in Western Canada and included the survey of important block outlines, traverses, the British Columbia-Yukon Boundary, the Fourth Meridian and baselines.

In 1911, Mr. Wallace was placed in charge of the Levelling Office of the Topographical Survey of Canada at Calgary and remained in this position until this work was transferred to Ottawa in 1925. He retired in 1932.

Mr. Wallace always took a keen interest in the early history of the Northwest and his book "The Wintering Partners on Peace River" is an authoritative study of northern exploration in the early days.

His death occurred in Calgary on January 12th, 1941. He was survived by his widow, Eva E. Murphy, three daughters and two sons.

Source: The Canadian Surveyor, April 1941