Etc. -- Samuel L. Squire's biography
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An edited transcription of a page 1 article from 3 Feb 1927 Waterford Star.
[Another profile of S. L. Squire appeared on page 1 of the 8 Jan 1925 Waterford Star.]

S. L. Squire has resigned post as deputy minister

S. L. Squire's birth was celebrated in Strathroy in the County of Middlesex, not in Norfolk County. He was just six months old when his mother died. At this time, in company with brothers and sisters he came to live in Waterford with an aunt, Mrs. Henrietta Parney, and really knew no other mother, nor did he have knowledge of ever having lived in any other town.

He attended public school in company with W. H. Moore and Chester Walters and passed his entrance examination at Simcoe High School before Waterford boasted of such an institution.

Shortly after this Sam Squire entered the Star office with dreams perhaps of being a successful printer, but after serving a little over a year, he went back to school, leaving school to join the staff of W. C. Lundy & Co. as junior clerk and parcel boy. An apprenticeship of seven years was sufficient business training and at the end of that time he purchased the general store from A. M. Little, who had for more than a quarter century been Waterford's leading merchant.

Mr. Squire carried on business in Waterford for twenty-one years, during which period he served as county councillor under the old district system, served as a councillor and reeve of Waterford, was a member of the High School Board, president of the Board of Trade, and a member of the Waterford Volunteer Fire Department. He passed through the chairs of several lodges and was associated with Waterford's business activities, having been president of the Norfolk County Telephone Company.

Then years ago Mr. Squire sold his general store business to H. A. Sanderson and became municipal advisor with the Highways Department of the Ontario Government. Mr. Squire has been interested in road improvement for more then 20 years and one the first resolutions which he introduced at member of the Norfolk County Council more than 20 years ago urged the county to adopt a county road system.

Mr. Squire has been president of the Ontario Good Roads Association and during the term of his office visited many counties throughout the province assisting them in organizing their county systems.

He is also a past president of the Canadian Good Roads Association and is now chairman of the executive committee of this national body. He is known throughout Canada as an ardent advocate of improved roads, believing this means of transportation is basic and has a definite relationship to all other means of transportation and cannot be separated from the interests of other means of transportation.

Mr. Squire was made Deputy Minister of Highways for Ontario in October, 1923, and was Acting Deputy Minister of Public Works, Ontario, for the year 1925. He has served on a number of international committees having to do with phases of highway financing or administration.

Since the above was written Sam has resigned his post as Deputy Minister of Highways and will now be associated with the directorate of the Imperial Varnish and Color Co., in charge of sales promotion.

In a statement issued to the press, the Hon. George S. Henry, Minister of Highways, embodied a fine tribute to the retiring deputy minister and his services to the Government:

"We have worked together harmoniously for three and a half years and any success we have had in improving the administration of the department is due in great measure to Mr. Squire as an important part of our organization," says Mr. Henry. "Frequently, during the last three years he has asked me to relieve him of his responsibilities, as he has had from time to time attractive offers from large financial concerns. I felt that I could not afford to lose him until our organization had proved itself. Now he is leaving the service, intending to take up other activities in the business world which will be more profitable to him. In addition to his work as deputy minister of highways he served me as deputy minister of public works for one year when we were making certain changes in the department and improving its administration."

He never forgets Norfolk County or the town of Waterford where he spent so many years and his many friends are pleased to know of his successful career and realize that each change of occupation has been a step higher.

 

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