Willard Grieg was a determined young man with the ambition to become a lawyer. He lived in Nestorville (now a ghost town near Thessalon around Sault St. Mari ) as a teenager he was an accomplished trapper and woodsman.
In the spring of 1909(circa), he told his sister Florrie to pack her bags they were going to Toronto. He had a dogsled heaped high with the furs he had trapped all winter pulled by his 2 huskies 'Grit and Tory' He said after he sold the furs he would have enough money to go to law school and also to pay for Florrie's tuition at the Royal Conservatory of Music. So they got on the train with the sled, dogs, and all and headed for Toronto.
From Union Station, they headed up Bay Street sled and again dogs and all and as they approached Gold's Furriers the dogs who had not eaten for a couple of days broke loose and chased down the furrier's cat and killed it and ate it. When the Furrier saw the furs he forgot about the cat. He bought the sled full of furs. He also noticed Florrie and a few years later after she graduated from The Royal Conservatory of Music He (Bert Gold to become Gould) married her.
And they were to become Glenn Gould's parents.
John Grieg was Glenn Gould’s first cousin
Furthermore no sooner than Willard Grieg graduated law school than WWI started up. He joined The Ontario Regiment's Uxbridge Battalion under Major Sharpe. the regiment formed up at Niagara on the Lake but it was found that Willard had flat feet and was being discharged. Before he got on the train Major Sharpe took him aside and told him he needed somebody to run his law practice in Uxbridge and offered him a partnership in Law firm for $2.00.
Major Sharpe had promised the people of Uxbridge he would bring his soldiers home safe and sound. That was not to be. Uxbridge had a tragic number of casualties and the despondent Major Sharpe committed suicide by jumping out a window in Ottawa rather than face the town. This left Willard with a Law practice for $2.00
told to me by John Greig
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