The Architects of our City

Arthur Hunter Eadie
Contributions: McLaughlin Library
The McLaughlin Mausoleum,
Union Cemetery

Arthur Hunter Eadie was born in Edinburgh Scotland on January 6th 1897, the youngest of four children to Janet and James Eadie.  Arthur came to Canada with his family in 1903 and settled in Toronto.  Arthur was educated in the public and technical schools of Toronto and some fifteen years later, returned as a teacher of technical evening classes.  He started his architectural career with the firm of Chadwick & Beckett from 1912 to 1916.  Arthur was drafted into the army in 1917 and in 1918, after the war, became a member of the staff of John M. Lyle with whom he remained until 1929 when in put in a year or so with Marani, Kawson & Morris.  He then returned to Mr. Lyle’s office and remained there until 1943 when John Lyle retired from practice.  He formed a partnership with John J. Beck another associate of John Lyle and practiced as Beck and Eadie until Mr. Beck retired in December of 1953.  Mr. Eadie then to practiced under his own name until his death in December of 1956.

In 1929 Mr.  Eadie was admitted to membership in the Ontario Association of Architects and in 1946 was elected to the Editorial Board.  In 1949 he became Chairman of the Board, which office he occupied with distinction until April 1953.

Arthur Eadie was the architect for the Canadian General Electric Company, building plants for them in Barrie, Oakville and Peterborough.  Arthur also designed the Geo. H. Locke Memorial Library in 1949, the Deer Park Library in 1952 and the Parliament Street Branch in 1955 for the Toronto Library system.  He worked on the John Lyle inspired Bank of Nova Scotia building from 1949 to 51.  The Bank of Nova Scotia building was designed by Architect John Lyle in 1930 as the bank head office in Toronto but was shelved until after the Second World War.  When it was finished this 26 story building was one of the first post war office towers in the soon to be financial district and today is the anchor for the Scotia Plaza on the corner of King and Bay.  It is noted for its craftsmanship, particularly for its exterior bas-reliefs by artist Frederick Winkler of mythological figures and the Jacobine Jones marble bas-reliefs in the banking hall that illustrate workers engaged in different industries associated with the bank including fishing, logging, farming and mining.

The McLaughlin Mausoleum,
Union Cemetery

In 1947 Beck and Eadie designed the McLaughlin Mausoleum in Union Cemetery for Colonel Sam McLaughlin.  The McLaughlin Mausoleum was built of gray pearl granite and features bas-reliefs in the style of John Lyle using stylized pinecones, needles and maple leaves.

In 1954 he designed the McLaughlin Library in Oshawa.  The library was designed in a mix of Prairie and International Styles The prairie style (1910-1930) was based on the work of F. L. Wright and brought to Canada by one of his apprentices – Frank Sullivan who practiced in Ottawa.  The style is identified by strong horizontal character, geometric qualities, frank use of materials, no historical ornamentation (no columns or pilasters or pediments) and materials consistent with the geographic area – here Credit Valley Sandstone.  The plan and elevation is functional, there are chimneys, bands of windows, a vertical accent of the door and a cantilevered hood surrounding it.

Books are seen as a basic, domestic, natural need, so the architecture here reflects that by the use of natural materials – stone, copper; the earth tones in materials and paint, the domestic scale, the chimneys.

For his distinguished architecture and for his services to the profession, he was created a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 1954.

Mr.  Eadie was a member of the St. George United Church for twenty-five years and was known to have designed the paneling in the chancel and the beautiful war memorial at the church.