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Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey and Canada's ninth Governor General, was no stranger to public service. Born in St. James Palace, London, on November 28, 1851, he was the son of the Hon. Sir Charles Grey, a private secretary to Queen Victoria for many years, and a grandson of a former British Prime Minister.
Earl Grey attended Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge; began public life as a member of the House of Commons, then entered the House of Lords when he succeeded to the Earldom on the death of a childless uncle.
A strong empire supporter, he visited the British posessions extensively and was a close friend of Cecil Rhodes, the South African statesman and developer, who appointed him Commissioner of Rhodesia.
In 1904, he was named Governor General of Canada to succeed his brother-in-law, Lord Minto, and accepted the post eagerly. Following what had become a tradition, Grey and his Countess travelled widely throughout Canada and also made many successful trips to the United States.
Lord Grey was deeply interested in the conservation and development of our forests and in penal reform. He had an abounding faith in the future of Canada and predicated that it would have a population of 80,000,000 before the end of the century.
An ardent sports fan, Earl Grey instituted the Grey Cup which remains emblematice of professional football supremacy in Canada. He was prominent in the elaborate celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City and influence the decision to have the 1759 battlefield designated as a national park. He also contributed to the preservation of other historical sites.
Because of his popularity and his own wishes, Grey's term was extended in 1909 for a further two years. Returning to England in 1911, he devoted himself to various social works and died at Howick in 1917. He was succeeded by his son, Lord Howick.
Earl Grey would no doubt be pleased to know that the school that now bears his name was declared a "Heritage Building" by the City of Winnipeg, thus preserving a part our past for future generations.