author
1864–1923
A Canadian journalist, editor, and prolific writer, this early-20th-century man of letters helped document public life in Canada through biographies, histories, and reference works. He is especially remembered for shaping major encyclopedic projects and for editing The Canadian Annual.

by J. Castell (John Castell) Hopkins

by Murat Halstead, J. Castell (John Castell) Hopkins
Born in Dyersville, Iowa, on April 1, 1864, he built his career in Canada as a journalist, editor, and historian. He worked with the Toronto Mail and Empire and became known for his energetic writing on politics, public affairs, and Canadian history.
Over the years, he produced a wide range of books, pamphlets, biographies, and historical works. He is closely associated with large reference projects, including encyclopedic publishing, and with The Canadian Annual, which aimed to record the year's important events in Canada and beyond.
He died in Toronto on November 5, 1923. Although not as widely read today as some of his contemporaries, his work remains valuable for readers interested in how Canada presented its history, politics, and public figures in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.