On that day, a French ammunition ship struck another vessel and exploded in Halifax harbour ( see The Halifax Explosion and the CNIB). On 6 December 1917, an unforeseen event encouraged Baker and others to take action and help individuals living with blindness. He volunteered for the Toronto-based Canadian Free Library for the Blind and joined its board of directors. Baker immersed himself in the cause, routinely speaking at fundraisers and Victory Bond rallies ( see Victory Loans). ( See also Sir Adam Beck.)īut his focus shifted to advocating for returning blind veterans who had limited options for employment and training. Upon his return to Toronto in 1916, Baker worked as a Dictaphone typist for the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario. Dustan’s, Baker learned skills including braille, business administration, For Pearson, blind soldiers and sailors could enjoy their lives and become more active members of society by empowering themselves through different types of training. Baker was inspired by meeting the hostel’s founder, Sir Arthur Pearson, who embraced a philosophy of self-reliance, an idea that was considered novel at the Dunstan's Hostel for Blind Soldiers and Sailors, based in London, England. Interview with author Marjorie Wilkins Campbell: “A German star-shell lit up the desolate landscape… as I watched, a bullet smashed through the bridge of my noseĪnd left me to the mercy of the darkness and my friends.” Baker, who attained the rank of Lieutenant with the Royal Canadian Engineers, later recounted the event in the 1960s during an Shortly after arriving overseas, Baker was blinded by a sniper bullet while standing in a trench in Mount Kemmel, Belgium. Graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in electrical engineering, and enlisted with the 6th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers to serve during the First World War. Edwin Albert Baker was born in 1893 in historic Ernestown Township (near present-day Kingston, Ontario).
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