Cameron Bruce Leishman

A life-long resident of Acton, Cam died at 85 years of age.

Born at Crewsons Corners in 1895, the family moved to Acton when Cam was just a youngster. Cam was the youngest of eight children of William and Agnes Lamb and was the last survivor. Cam attended Lorne school and Acton schools. The 1911 Canadian Census shows the family living on Arthur St. in Acton.

On May 13, 1918, Cam joined the war effort, enlisting at Hamilton…he was 22 years of age, was living at Park and Lake Ave., Acton, and he listed his occupation as freight agent. Cam arrived in London, England in June 1918 and embarked from Liverpool back to Canada in June 1919. His Discharge Certificate shows that he was a Sapper with the Canadian Engineers, but other than this little is known of his time overseas.

By 1921, Cam was living in Toronto and listed his occupation as a freight foreman when he married Jean Robertson. The 1931 the Census shows us Cam renting a house on Mill St. in Acton, living with his wife Jeane and nine-year-old son Allan David (WW2), at that time working as a salesman at a tobacco store earning $840 a year. The 1962 Rural Preliminary List of Voters places him at 28 Mill St., Acton.

According to his obituary, Cam was especially known to older people through his 30 years at the post office and to younger people through his work as a crossing guard. While custodian at the old post office on Mill St. (now torn down), his family lived in the apartment upstairs.

His main spare time interest was sports. He played on town ball teams for many years and hockey until he was well over 40 years of age. Later he became an ardent bowler and cribbage player. In his younger years he played alto horn for the Acton band when it was under the direction of John Hill.

Cam was a member of the Acton Branch of the Royal Candain Legion, the Oddfellows and Orange Lodge and Knox Presbyterian Church.

Cam died in 1980 and is buried at Fairview Cemetery in Acton. He is commemorated on the Honour Roll at Knox Presbyterian Church in Acton.

Truly a Canadian Hero. His story lives on. *Information taken from Ancestry.com and Findagrave.com

---