Over 60 history buffs gathered, in person and online, to listen to Doug Ferguson as he described his “Ancestral Odyssey” at the Glencoe and District Historical Society Archives on Wednesday evening, January 17. His Ferguson ancestors had left Craignish, Argyleshire for Aldborough Twp. in 1818 and then moved to northern Mosa Twp. in 1827. The McDonalds left Inverness for Quebec in 1830, before settling in Ekfrid Twp. in 1835.
He added the “guest appearances” of the McColl and Livingstones in his family tree, both families having left
Port Appin, Argyleshire for Ekfrid Twp. in the 1840s. Doug shared images from his own family’s trek to Scotland to visit their ancestors’ birthplaces. Describing his interest in genealogy as being sparked by his grandmother, Annie (McDonald) Ferguson, Doug concluded his presentation encouraging those present to become stewards in preserving their families’ histories and stories. – Marie Williams
Doug Ferguson, the Story Keeper
Doug grew up in Brooke Township and is a lawyer in London. He taught for many years at the Faculty of Law at Western University, and was president of Covent Garden Market when it was rebuilt in downtown London. He has many connections to Glencoe, including drinking underage at the McKellar House.
Doug inherited his father’s interest in politics, being active locally, provincially, and nationally, becoming President of the Liberal Party of Canada in 2008. In the 2011 federal election, he ran as the Liberal candidate in London West.
Doug has been active in the London community over the years. Among his many leadership roles, he was President of Covent Garden Market when it was rebuilt and served as President of the Canadian Club of London. Recently he served on the board of the Thomas Talbot Land Trust.
He has also been active in the legal community at the provincial and national levels. Doug founded and served as the first president of the Canadian Association for Canadian Clinical Legal Education. He chaired the Legal Aid Committee for the Canadian Bar Association and was a director of the Ontario Bar Association. Currently he is on the board of the National Action Committee on Access to Justice.
In 2014, after a diagnosis of liver cancer, Doug underwent two liver transplants and miraculously lived to tell the tale. To pay back the gift of life he received, he is the chair of the fundraising committee for the Transplant Unit at University Hospital. He continues to advocate for organ donation.
While playing baseball in the Young People’s Softball League in Appin, Doug met and married Anne McColl from Glencoe; they had two children, Sarah and Duncan. After her passing, he remarried Laurie Lashbrook from Rodney. Among the awards he has received are the
