1864–1935
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Plot 18 Lot 33
Born in Dundalk, Ireland, John Joseph Kelso immigrated to Toronto with his family in 1874 after a fire destroyed his father’s business. The family endured poverty and hardship – experiences that shaped Kelso’s lifelong compassion for society’s most vulnerable.
Kelso began his career as a printer and later became a reporter for The World and The Globe. His work exposed him to the harsh realities faced by destitute children and mistreated animals. Outraged by what he saw, Kelso took action. In 1887, at just 23, he founded the Toronto Humane Society, initially dedicated to preventing cruelty to both children and animals.
His vision expanded. By 1891, Kelso established the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, leading child protection efforts in Canada. He championed legislation such as the Children’s Protection Act (1893), Ontario’s first Adoption Act, and the Children of Unmarried Parents Act. Kelso also introduced playgrounds, school dental programs, mothers’ allowances and advocated for juvenile courts and the closure of reformatories.
Kelso’s influence reached beyond Ontario, helping Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia create similar child welfare systems. In 1906, at President Theodore Roosevelt’s invitation, Kelso addressed the White House Child Welfare Conference, cementing his reputation as Canada’s leading children’s advocate.
Nicknamed “the children’s friend,” Kelso served as Ontario’s first Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children, a position he held for over 40 years. He died on September 30, 1935, leaving a legacy that inaugurated and transformed social services in Canada. His grave at Mount Pleasant Cemetery stands as a tribute to a man whose compassion changed countless lives.
Sources:
• The Canadian Encyclopedia – “John Joseph Kelso”
• Wikipedia – “J.J. Kelso”
• Toronto Humane Society – “Our History”
Photos:
• Portrait - Anonymous, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
• Group shot - John Joseph Kelso, founder of the Children’s Aid Society, 1900, and of the Toronto Humane Society
Courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-85881
• On steps - Mr. J.J. Kelso, founder of the Children's Aid Society, with W.H. Wightmyer and some of the children. Belleville, Ontario, 1910, courtesy John Joseph Kelso / Library and Archives Canada / C-085882
