Born near here, Coats was educated locally and graduated in 1896 from the University of Toronto. In 1902, Mackenzie King, then Deputy Minister of Labour, persuaded Coats to become editor of the Labour Gazette. In this position, he became convinced of the need for reliable government statistics. In 1915, he was appointed Canada's first Dominion Statistician and Controller of the Census. Coats drafted the legislation that established the Dominion Bureau of Statistics three years later. Twice a member of statistical committees with the League of Nations, he also served, after retiring in 1942, as a statistical advisor to the Ontario Government and to the United Nations. Coats was honoured by three Canadian universities and was a member of many foreign statistical societies.

Location

On the grounds of Central Huron Secondary School, 165 Princess Street East, Clinton

Themes

• People
• Politics and law