Terry Fox 30th Anniversary - J. Thomas Duhamel appointed 2nd Bishop of Ottawa (1874)

Today's blog features statues: for the Capital contains many of them along with explanatory plaques.

About a week ago, in reading the notation besides the Terry Fox statue on Wellington and Metcalfe streets, opposite Parliament Hill and outside the Information Office, I noticed that Terry was forced to end his 1980 Marathon of Hope on September 1 of that year, making today the 30th anniversary of that moving day.

Besides a couple of pictorial angles on the statue, here is the Wikipedia entry on Fox:

Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox, CC, OD (July 28, 1958 – June 28, 1981) was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist.

In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Though the spread of his cancer forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi), and ultimately cost him his life, his determination and example created a lasting, worldwide legacy.

The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$500 million has been raised in his name.

Fox was a distance runner and basketball player for his Port Coquitlam, British Columbia high school and Simon Fraser University. His right leg was amputated in 1977 after he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, though he continued to run using an artificial leg. He also played wheelchair basketball in Vancouver, winning three national championships.

In 1980, he began the Marathon of Hope, a cross-country run to raise money for cancer research. Fox hoped to raise one dollar for each of Canada's 24 million people. He started with little fanfare from St. John's, Newfoundland in April and ran the equivalent of a full marathon every day.

Fox had become a national star by the time he reached Ontario; he made numerous public appearances with businessmen, athletes, and politicians in his efforts to raise money. He was forced to end his run outside of Thunder Bay when the cancer spread to his lungs. His hopes of overcoming the disease and completing his marathon ended when he died nine months later.

Fox was the youngest person ever named a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian award. He won the 1980 Lou Marsh Award as the nation's top sportsman and was named Canada's Newsmaker of the Year in both 1980 and 1981. Considered a national hero, he has had many buildings, roads and parks named in his honour across the country. --www.wikipedia.org

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MGR JOSEPH-THOMAS DUHAMEL 2ND BISHOP, 1ST ARCHBISHOP OF OTTAWA

Statue of Mgr Joseph-Thomas Duhamel outside Ottawa's Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica (corner of Sussex and Guigues)

On this day in 1874, Blessed Pope Pius IX named the pastor of the Parish of St. Eugène on the eastern boundary of the diocese as the 2nd bishop of Ottawa. Earlier that year, the first bishop of Ottawa, Mgr Joseph-Eugène-Bruno Guigues, O.M.I. had died on February 8.

On June 8, 1886, Duhamel would become the 1st archbishop when the see was elevated to metropolitan status. The following is a brief description of some of Mgr Duhamel's time of service (www.fr.academic.ru/dic.nsf/frwiki/888002):

Joseph-Thomas Duhamel (6 novembre 1841 - 1909) était le deuxième évêque d'Ottawa et le premier archevêque d'Ottawa.

Né à Contrecœur, il fut ordonné prêtre le 19 décembre 1863 après des études au collège d'Ottawa avec les oblats.

Curé de Buckingham, ses qualités admistratives sont reconnues et il fut envoyé pour construire l'église de la paroisse de Saint-Eugène. Il assista au concile Vatican I avec son évêque en tant que théologien.

Pie IX le nomma évêque d'Ottawa le 1er septembre 1874 et il fut consacré le 28 octobre suivant par Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau.

Le 8 juin 1886, son diocèse est élevé en archevêché et il est nommé archevêque. Très dévoué à la cause de l'instruction, il fonde plusieurs écoles et paroisses dans sa région et améliore la condition des francophones catholiques.

En outre, il ordonne Jean-Marie-Rodrigue Villeneuve à la prêtrise et fonde le vicariat du Pontiac.

Il fut témoin du grand incendie de Hull de 1900 et il vit l'Université d'Ottawa tomber proie aux flammes le 2 décembre 1903. Ces événements assombrirent la fin de son épiscopat.

Après avoir donné sa vie entière pour le bien de sa communauté, il mourut le 5 juin 1909. La municipalité de Duhamel a été nommée en son honneur.