Brampton in Peel Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Sir William James Gage

1849-1921

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 2, 2025

1. Sir William James Gage Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Born near Brampton, educated there and at the Toronto Normal School, Gage taught for a time and studied medicine for a year before joining, in 1874, the publishing house of Adam Miller and Co. In 1875 he became a partner and five years later reorganized the firm as W. J. Gage and Co. Specializing in educational books, it became one of the most successful publishing houses in Canada. A philanthropist and a pioneer in the public battle against tuberculosis, Gage established several free hospitals and sanatoria. He died in Toronto.

Gage naquit près de Brampton ou il fit ses études. Il fréquenta l'école normale de Toronto et, après quelques années d'enseignement, étudia la médecine un an avant d'entrer, en 1874, a la maison d'édition Adam, Miller and Co. En 1875, il acquit des intérêts dans l'entreprise et, cinq-ans plus tard, la réorganisa sous le nom de W. J. Gage and Co. La compagnie, qui se spécialisa dans les ouvrages pédagogiques, devint rapidement lune des plus importantes maisons d'édition au Canada. Philanthrope et pionnier de la lutte contre la tuberculose, Gage fit construire plusieurs hôpitaux et sanatoriums. Il mourut à Toronto.

Erected 1951

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by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Charity & Public Work • Education. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1874.

Location. 43° 41.068′ N, 79° 45.502′ W. Marker is in Brampton, Ontario, in Peel Region. It is at the intersection of Main Street South and Wellington Street West, on the right when traveling south on Main Street South. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Brampton ON L6Y 4R2, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Toronto,

specifically on the Golden Horseshoe,

and in the Toronto Metropolitan Area.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 2, 2025

2. Sir William James Gage Marker

distance of this marker: Brampton Cenotaph (within shouting distance of this marker); Gage Park Bandstand (within shouting distance of this marker); The Etobicoke Creek (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Paul’s United Church (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Gage Park (about 120 meters away); William Perkins Bull, K.C., LL.D. / William Perkins Bull, C.R., LL.D. (about 120 meters away); The Armstrong House (about 210 meters away); 20th Regiment Halton Rifles/ 36th Peel Regiment (approx. 0.2 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brampton.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Peel County Court House / Le Palais De Justice Du Comté de Peel (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . . Gage, Sir William James Gage (Dictionary of Canadian Biography).

In 1871 he embarked on his first venture, buying and selling cordwood in Brampton. He then became a bookkeeper with a Toronto publisher, Adam Miller and Company. After Miller’s death in 1875, he continued as a partner in the firm, which he took over in 1879 and renamed W. J.
circa 1910

3. Sir William James Gage ca 1910
Public domain
Gage and Company. Although the market for textbooks, its most important line, was rife with competition, governmental intrusion, and copyright disputes, Gage achieved considerable success. In 1893 his company was incorporated. A promotional booklet later claimed that “there is . . . not a community throughout the Dominion where the schoolbooks published by this house have not found a place.”

(Submitted on November 7, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)

Gage Park, 2025 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 2, 2025

4. Gage Park, 2025

Marker is visible on the right of the white trellis

Credits. This page was last revised on November 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 40 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 7, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.