author
C. C. (Charles Canniff) James
1863–1916
A leading figure in Ontario agriculture, he combined a scientist’s training with a gift for public education and helped shape how farming was taught and organized in the province. He also wrote widely, leaving behind books on agriculture, history, and Canadian literature.
1 Audiobook
History of Farming in Ontario
by C. C. (Charles Canniff) James
About the author
Born in Napanee, Ontario, in 1863, Charles Canniff James studied at Victoria University, where he graduated with high honors in natural science. He joined the Ontario Agricultural College at Guelph in 1886 as professor of chemistry, then moved into public service a few years later.
James is best remembered for his work in agricultural education and reform. As Ontario’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, a role he held for more than two decades, he helped promote practical teaching for farmers and is credited with founding Ontario’s agricultural representative service. His career linked science, government, and everyday farm life in a way that had lasting influence.
He was also a prolific writer and compiler. In addition to textbooks and practical works on farming, he wrote on Ontario’s agricultural history and was known as a book collector and an authority on Canadian history and literature. He died in January 1916.