author
Kathleen Macfarlane Lizars
d. 1931
A Canadian writer and local historian with a gift for bringing early Ontario to life, she wrote spirited historical works that blend research with a strong sense of place. Her books remain especially connected with Stratford, the Canada Company story, and the Humber Valley.
1 Audiobook
Humours of '37, Grave, Gay and Grim: Rebellion Times in the Canadas
by Robina Lizars, Kathleen Macfarlane Lizars
About the author
Born in Stratford, Ontario, Kathleen Macfarlane Lizars was educated in Toronto and in Scotland. Archival and biographical sources describe her as the younger sister of writer Robina Lizars Smith, and note that she spent several years in British Columbia, where she worked as a private secretary to Premier John Robson before returning to Stratford.
Lizars wrote both on her own and with her sister. Sources commonly credit her with Humours of '37, Grave, Gay, and Grim, the collaborative historical work In the Days of the Canada Company, and The Valley of the Humber, published in 1913. Her writing is remembered for its interest in Canadian history, especially the people, settlements, and everyday stories behind Ontario's past.
She died in 1931. Although not widely known today, her work still appeals to readers who enjoy regional history, early Canadian life, and nonfiction that feels close to the communities it describes.