1
George Bishop was born in Hastings, England in 1902. He was the son of Albert Henry Bishop and Clara Harris. He came to Canada with his parents as a young boy, settling in Acton, Ontario where he and his family assisted in the operation of a family market garden and greenhouse. George came to the Manitoulin in 1936 to work at Manitoulin Gardens and Greenhouse in Sheguiandah.In 1938, George opened Red Lodge, the first American Plan Lodge on the Manitoulin Island. He operated Red Lodge until 1953, and then began a career in Politics.
In 1948, George was very active in the repeal of the Temperance Act on Manitoulin Island.
In 1953, he ran for the Progressive Conservative Party against Liberal Lester B. Pearson for the seat in Algoma. George lost that race, but in 1955, he was elected Reeve of Assiginack and remained in that capacity until 1959.
George married Nell (Wiber) Ferguson, a widow with three sons on July 17, 1937 in Little Current and became very much 'Grandpa George' to a bevy of step-grandchildren.
George was, to say the least, a very memorable man. He had a turn of phrase, a sense of wit, and unforgettable enthusiasm. He wasn't above scolding the government; local, provincial or federal in the column he wrote in the Manitoulin Expositor called 'This is your Museum' in 1976-77.
George was a proponent of work for wages and took advantage of all the available grants to keep his 'boys' working. He admonished the Federal government for stopping the Local Improvement Program that would force him to lay off his employees at the museum.
2
George served one term as president of the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters, was the Managing Director of the Little Current-Howland Centennial Museum, responsible for the Batman's Mill replica project and very proud of the fact that his 'pride and joy' the Little Current Howland Centennial Museum was Canada's first completed Centennial Project. His love of flowers kept him involved in the Manitoulin Horticultural societies and a director of the Ontario Horticultural Society. During his time at the museum, the gardens flourished, and his notes are full of plans for future development.He often talked about what pleasure he took from the view of Sheguiandah Bay as he drove to work from his home at Red Lodge... He was thrilled by the site of the museum every time he saw it, and couldn't understand the lack of local interest. He estimated it to be about 3% in 1976.
George said, referring to the museum in one of his columns "it all belongs to you, Luv."
George Bishop died on October 10, 1978.
3
George BishopAugust 1965
Indian Mountain Road, overlooking Sheguiandah Bay
4
George Bishop often talked about what pleasure he took from the view of Sheguiandah Bay as he drove to work from his home at Red Lodge.5
George BishopAugust 1965
Indian Mountain Road, overlooking Highway 6 South to Ten Mile Point, Manitoulin Island, ON, Canada
6
George Bishop the first Managing Director of the Little Current Howland Centennial Museum1965
Sheguiandah, Ontario, Canada
7
George Bishop's original hand drawn design for the museum property1965
Sheguiandah, Ontario, Canada
8
This hand-drawn plan of the museum site, was George Bishop's first vision for the Little Current Howland Centennial Musuem in 1965.9
The museum's first letterhead1965
10862 Highway 6, Sheguiandah, Ontario, Canada
10
Little Current-Howland Museum and ParkHousing artifacts and items, pertaining to the early white settlers on Manitoulin, following the 1862 Treaty permitting white settlement.
Jointly owned by the Town of Little Current and the Township of Howland.
11
The Sommerville Granary completed1975
Highway 6, Sheguiandah, Ontario, Canada
12
George Bishop and his wife Nell (Wiber) (Ferguson) Bishop donated the lower level to the expansion of the Little Current Howland Centennial Museum in 197213
The lower level of the Centennial Museum's 8 acre site1992
Highway 6, Sheguiandah, Ontario, Canada
14
George said, referring to the museum in one of his columns "it all belongs to you, Luv."George Bishop died on October 10, 1978.
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