Name Edmund Meredith | Died September 28, 1962 | |
Lt.-Colonel Edmund Graves Meredith Cape, D.S.O. (August 7, 1878 – September 28, 1962), was the founding President of E.G.M. Cape & Co., Engineers and Contractors of Montreal, and a Governor of the Montreal General Hospital. He raised and commanded the 3rd Battery, Canadian Siege Artillery, and was later appointed Commanding Officer of the 2nd Medium Brigade, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. His home on Redpath Crescent was one of the last houses put up in the Golden Square Mile.
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Early life
Born at Hamilton, Ontario, he was the son of John Cape (1841–1908) and Margaret Kittson (1843–1887), daughter of William Henry Kittson (1810–1882), Collector of Customs at Hamilton. He took his middle names from the family of his maternal grandmother, Harriet Meredith, sister of Edmund Allen Meredith. His maternal grandfather, William Kittson, was a stepson of Alexander Henry and brother of Norman Kittson. Educated at Hamilton and McGill University (B.A.Sc., 1898).
Career
He started his career as the Assistant Engineer of the Lake Superior Power Company at Sault Ste. Marie. He was promoted to Chief Engineer during the construction of the Canada Car Company, and afterwards practised for some years as a Civil Engineer at Montreal. In 1908, he founded E.G.M. Cape & Co., Engineers and Contractors of Montreal, which still exists today with the head office at Toronto. He retired as Chairman of the Board in 1958. He was a member of the Engineering Institute of Canada and of the Montreal Board of Trade. He was a Governor of the Montreal General Hospital and the Western General Hospital.
First World War
In the autumn of 1915, Major Cape of the 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery raised and commanded 3rd Battery, Canadian Siege Artillery and took them to Europe. After further training in England, in June 1916, Cape accompanied the Battery to France. Cape fought in the Battle of the Somme and was wounded at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. He was twice mentioned in Douglas Haig's Despatches for distinguished service under enemy fire. He was awarded the D.S.O. In 1920, upon reorganization of the Canadian Militia, Lieutenant-Colonel Cape was appointed Commanding Officer of the 2nd Medium Brigade, Montreal.
Family
In 1908, Cape married Lillian Guest Smith of Montreal. They had two sons and one daughter,
Cape was a member of the St. James's; Mount Royal; Forest and Stream; Montreal Hunt; Montreal Racquet; Montreal Indoor Tennis; Royal Montreal Golf and Royal St. Lawrence Yacht clubs. In September 1962, Colonel Cape died after a short illness at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal.