LogoutMr. G. E. Beament
This oral history interview with George Edwin (Ted) Beament, conducted by the Osgoode Society between 1990-1992, chronicles the life and career of a prominent Ottawa lawyer from a distinguished legal family. Beament reflects on his upbringing in early 20th century Ottawa, his father Thomas Arthur Beament’s successful legal practice, and his own education at Ottawa institutions before attending Osgoode Hall Law School.
The interview extensively covers Beament’s World War II military service from 1940-1946, including his roles as Brigade Major and GSO1, his training with British armoured formations, and his service across Europe with First Canadian Army headquarters. A significant portion discusses his establishment of the Khaki University of Canada in 1945-46, an innovative post-war educational institution that provided learning opportunities to nearly 1,400 Canadian soldiers awaiting repatriation, creating a unique national educational experience that transcended regional and military rank differences.
Following his return to Canada in 1946, Beament resumed his legal career in Ottawa, building on his family’s legal legacy. The interview provides valuable insights into Canadian legal practice, military service, and educational innovation during a transformative period in Canadian history, while documenting the contributions of the Beament family to Ottawa’s legal community spanning multiple generations.
This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.
References
The following are a selection of topics discussed in this oral history.
- County Courts
- Court of Appeal
- Exchequer Court
- Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
- Supreme Court of Ontario
- Osgoode Hall
- Osgoode Hall Law School
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Justice
- National Capital Commission
- Suburban Road Commission
- Wartime Prices and Trade Board
- Battle of Normandy
- Boer War
- Confederation
- conscription crisis
- Coronation of George V
- D-Day
- Dieppe
- First World War
- Halifax Explosion
- Operation Overlord
- Pearl Harbor Attack
- sinking of the Titanic
- V-E Day
- World War II
- Belgium
- Canada
- England
- France
- Germany
- Manitoba
- Netherlands
- New Brunswick
- Northern Ontario
- Ontario
- Ottawa
- Quebec
- Scotland
- Beament and Armstrong
- Henderson and Beament
- McPherson & McPherson
- Beament v. Minister of National Revenue
- Berlin and Berlin
- Landreville case
- Right of Way Mines case
- Bencher
- Lawyer
- Law Society of Upper Canada
- Arthur Martin
- Brenda Beament
- Cecil Wright
- Charles Belford
- Chief Justice Latchford
- Clarence Darrow
- E.P. Taylor
- Frank Echlin
- General Crerar
- General McNaughton
- General Montgomery
- George Edwin Beament
- Gordon Fripp Henderson
- Harold Foster
- Henry Borden
- John Arnup
- John Robinette
- Mackenzie King
- Maxwell Cohen
- Mike Pearson
- Norman McPherson
- Senator Belcourt
- Sir William Mulock
- Stewart Henderson
- Ted McPherson
- Thomas Arthur Beament
- W.D. McPherson
- W.N. Tilley
- Canadian Bar Association
- Community Chest
- County of Carleton Law Association
- Law Society of Upper Canada
- Order of St. John
- Ottawa Welfare Council
- Ottawa YMCA
- Princess Irene Netherlands Brigade
- Royal Military College Club
- YWCA
- 1900s
- 1910s
- 1920s
- 1930s
- 1940s
- 1950s
- 1960s
- 1970s
- Commercial Law
- estate practice
- Expropriation Law
- mining rights
- Railway Law
- right of way
- solicitor practice
Some of these references were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Archive Details
Files consist of oral history records documenting the life and career of George Edwin (Ted) Beament (1908-2005), a lawyer. Interview topics include: Royal Military College; University of Toronto, engineering; Osgoode Hall Law School; articling; select cases; World War II; Bencher, Law Society of Upper Canada; select Benchers. Interview conducted by Colin MCKinnon and William Johnson. File includes eight audio cassette recordings from a series of four interviews and a transcript with index (196 p.).