Bert Sterling Wemp (July 3, 1889 – February 5, 1976) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

journalist and mayor of Toronto. He was also a member of the Orange Order in Canada. Born in Tweed, Ontario, he was raised in Cabbagetown and attended Dufferin School and Jarvis Collegiate Institute. In 1905, he joined the '' Toronto Telegram'' working as a suburban editor, editor, city editor, and head of the court bureau. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he served as commander of the 218th Squadron,

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...

and was the first Canadian to win the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was made a Knight of the

Order of Leopold Order of Leopold may refer to: * Order of Leopold (Austria), founded in 1808 by emperor Francis I of Austria and discontinued in 1918 * Order of Leopold (Belgium), founded in 1832 by king Leopold I of Belgium * Order of Leopold II, founded in Congo ...

in 1919. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he was a war correspondent. In 1946, he was made an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

. In 1921, he was elected a

school trustee A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional are ...

and again in 1922. In 1924, he was elected to the Toronto City Council as an alderman for Ward 2. In 1930, he was elected mayor of Toronto. After serving as mayor, he returned to the ''Toronto Telegram'' as city editor. He died of emphysema in 1976."Former mayor won first Canadian DFC", ''The Globe and Mail'' oronto, OntFebruary 6, 1976: 4.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wemp, Bert 1889 births 1976 deaths Canadian newspaper journalists Canadian military personnel of World War I Mayors of Toronto Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Hastings County Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Toronto city councillors