Harold Anthony Oaks

Born in Hespeler and raised in Preston, Harold Anthony “Doc” Oaks enlisted at age eighteen and served overseas with the Canadian Army in World War I. In 1917 he joined the Royal Flying Corps and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1922 he graduated from the University of Toronto as a mining engineer.

A pioneer aviator-geologist in the far north, he was able to visualize the advantages of flying people and equipment over vast wilderness distances at a great saving of time. He headed several pioneering air companies, including his own Oakes Airways Ltd. He participated in several mercy flights, one of which resulted in the rescue of thirteen stranded prospectors in the subarctic.

Oaks is enshrined in Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame with the following citation: “The professional daring of his aerial expeditions into uncharted regions led others of his reed to colonize the north and bring outstanding benefits to Canadian aviation.”