Roy Ivor

In 1928, Hance Roy Ivor (1880 to 1979) moved to Erindale where he dedicated his life to the care and protection of birds by building the ‘Winding Lane Sanctuary’. During the fifty years that he ran the sanctuary, Ivor, affectionately known as the ‘Birdman of Mississauga’, wrote a number of articles for prestigious magazines, such as National Geographic and The Auk.

Ivor’s work gained him much acclaim, and he received the Order of Canada and an honorary Doctorate of Sciences from the University of Windsor.

In 1970, a devastating fire left Ivor and his birds homeless. An outpouring of support came from across the country as people donated money to help rebuild his sanctuary. The Roy Ivor Collection includes many photographs, bird specimens, smoking pipes, personal items and letters.