Harvey Sims

A native of Waterloo, Ontario and a graduate of the University of Toronto, Harvey Sims was a prominent solicitor who was appointed to the King’s Council in 1921. He specialized in municipal and insurance law and wrote two books on the latter: “Life Insurance Contracts in Canada” in 1920 and “The Uniform Life Insurance Act of Canada” in 1937. He worked with the firms Millar and Sims, then Sims and Bray, and finally as general counsel for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of Canada. Additionally he served on the senate of the Universities of Waterloo and Toronto, as a charter member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Rotary Club, and on the boards of numerous companies. He was also a friend of Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, having acted as campaign manager for King’s first and successful attempt to enter Parliament. His residence in Kitchener, known as Chicopee, became a provincial heritage property.

Sims was also known for his athletic pursuits, serving as president of both the Ontario (Lawn) Bowling and Curling Associations and helping to found the Kitchener-Waterloo Granite Club for curling. In 1932 he represented Ontario at the curling demonstration event at that year’s Winter Olympic Games, where his rink placed second. For the combined weight of his achievements, he was inducted into the Waterloo County Hall of Fame in 1992.