Simon James Dawson was a Canadian civil engineer and politician. Born in Redhaven, Banffshire, Scotland, Dawson emigrated to Canada as a young man and began his career as an engineer. In 1857, as a member of a Canadian government expedition, he surveyed a line of road from Prince Arthur’s Landing (later Port Arthur, now part of Thunder Bay, Ontario) to Fort Garry and further explored that area in 1858 and 1859. His report greatly stimulated Canadian interest in the West. Wikipedia
The definitive Wikipedia entry for Simon James Dawson. Wikipedia is the biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_James_Dawson
Most of the Dawson family immigrated to Nepean Township near Bytown (Ottawa) in 1836, though Simon James Dawson appears to have remained in Scotland longer. www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=40790&query=
Born in Scotland, Dawson emigrated to Canada as a young man and began his career as a civil engineer. In 1857 as a member of a Canadian government expedition, he surveyed a line of road from the Lakehead to Fort Garry and in 1858-59 further explored that www.ontarioplaques.com/Plaques_STU/Plaque_ThunderBay29.html