Dr. Garnet Leo McDiarmid

January 8, 1924 - June 14, 2018

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear father at University Hospital in London, Ontario after a brief illness. Garnet, predeceased by his loving wife, Norma, is survived by his three children Ian (Kathy), Robyn (Jim), and Wendy (Marke), two granddaughters Brooke and Tyler, and two great grandchildren.

Garnet was born in Welland, Ontario and went to school there. It was in High School that he met the love of his life, Norma. He joined the RCAF in 1943 and flew overseas during World War II. After the War, he returned to Canada and to Norma, whom he then married.

With financial aid from the Veterans Rehabilitation Act, Garnet earned a B.A. at Queen’s University in Political Science, Philosophy, and History. After earning a B. Ed from the University of Toronto, he started his teaching career in a one-room school near Sherkston and then to the role of principal in Pelham, Blackwell and Richmond Hill. He was on the board of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation for six years, becoming president of the Ontario Public School Men Teachers’ Federation in 1961.

Garnet had a brilliant mind and wanted to achieve more in the field of education. With Norma and three children in tow, the family moved to Syracuse, New York where he completed his M.A and earned his PhD in Psychology of Learning. The family returned to Canada in 1966 where he joined the faculty of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Garnet was invited as a guest lecturer to Universities in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Scotland and Sweden. He was also asked to be a guest speaker or participant in conferences across Canada, the United States, and in Paris, France.

Garnet had a particular passion when it came to the education of Canada’s Aboriginal children. He was asked to be an expert witness to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Indian Affairs in 1969. He also did a four month study for the Auditor General of Canada regarding curriculum and administrative practices of the Education Branch of Indian Affairs. Garnet then undertook a three year study of Ontario’s Social Studies textbooks for the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the results of which are outlined in the book he authored entitled Teaching Prejudice. His study prompted consultations in other provinces and significant changes were made in references to minority groups in the textbooks of those provinces. He also conducted a twelve-month study for the OECD in Paris, France on the innovative aspects of teacher education in Canada, and a seven-month study of comparative socialization of Scottish, Lap, and Native children with special attention to native language retention.

For twenty years, he completed many research/development studies for the Department of Indian Affairs. One of his proudest projects was the implementation of a daycare centre on the Manitoulin Reserve, which exists today. Teachers at the nearby public school remarked that they had to upgrade their curriculum for Aboriginal children who graduated from the daycare centre and entered pre-kindergarten, such was their increased level of achievement. Developing a reputation in First Nations education, Garnet was then asked to chair an investigation committee for Mr. Justice Patrick Hartt on the educational and organizational conditions of the native people on the White Dog and Grassy Narrows reserves in the District of Kenora. Asked to participate in CTV’s University of the Air, Garnet gave two five-part lectures on Multiculturalism and The Social and Psychological Development of Attitudes and Prejudice.

He retired from OISE in 1989 as Chair of the Curriculum Department, and he and Norma moved back to his childhood homestead in Port Colborne. There, they both participated in a varied social life. In addition to maintaining and enhancing their large rural property beside Mud Lake, Garnet found time to join various local Arts and Recreational boards. Concerned with the lack of available medical services in the area, in 2003 he recruited a committee which developed and submitted an application to the Ministry of Health in Long-Term Care. This resulted in the approval of a Community Health Centre in Port Colborne.

With the death of Norma in 2011, Garnet moved to London, Ontario to be closer to his daughter, Wendy. His passion for education never waned though, and he continued to write and research until his illness sidelined those efforts.

Our family would like to thank Dr Goldszmidt and the nursing staff at University Hospital who cared for him so well. We would also like to thank the staff of Amica at London for providing a warm and comfortable home for him. And finally, we would also like to thank his good friend, Joanne, who provided many years of companionship for him. A life well lived. He will be missed.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Sunday, July 15th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Amica at London, 517 Fanshawe Park Road West. In lieu of flowers, donations to London’s University Hospital or the Bridges Community Health Centre in Port Colborne are gratefully received.