"Skipper" and Sick Kids Hospital 

Mapping our Memories:
Joy Cohnstaedt talks about her grandfather William George Rowe who came to Toronto from Newfoundland early in the last century. Having worked on fishing schooners, he was accustomed to heights and found employment as an ironworker. For many years, he worked for Disher Steel Construction Co. Ltd., becoming erection supervisor for structural steel on construction sites. He was known as "Skipper" among his fellow Newfoundlanders, who, once in Toronto, would call him looking for jobs. One of his biggest projects was the $10 million new building for Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, which opened in 1951 on University Ave., the year Skipper passed away.
We are grateful to Joy for sharing this family story. Sadly, she passed away in March. She was a remarkable woman and will be missed by so many.
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