Sir Casimir Stanislaus Gzowski

Gzowski, Sir Casimir Stanislaus

Sir Casimir Stanislaus Gzowski, engineer (b at St Petersburg [Leningrad], Russia 5 Mar 1813; d at Toronto 24 Aug 1898). He began his engineering career in Canada in 1842. As a superintendent of public works of the Province of Canada, he improved waterways and canals and constructed roads, harbours and bridges. Later he built the Canadian portion of the St Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad (1846-53) and constructed the Grand Trunk Railway line from Toronto to Sarnia (1852-60). He designed and built the international bridge between Fort Erie and Buffalo, NY (1870-73), a difficult job because of strong currents, ice and winds. At the same time he served on a commission to study inland waters from the Atlantic to Lk Superior; its report of 1871 anticipates the system now known as the St Lawrence Seaway. Gzowski was the first chairman of the Niagara Parks Commission and planned the park system along the Canadian bank of the river. Together with several other engineers he formed the Canadian Soc of Civil Engineers and later served as president (1889-91). Established during his term of office, the gold Gzowski Medal has been awarded annually for outstanding written contributions to engineering. Keenly concerned over the defence of Canada, Gzowski fought for the strengthening of the Canadian militia and served in it as lieutenant-colonel and colonel. Appointed aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria (1879), he was awarded a KCMG (1890) in recognition of his services in the military and engineering fields.