About Allison F Gowling

Allison Gowling is a native of Haldimand County, who was born on his parents' dairy farm in May 1957. Allison's father, Norman was a well-known dairy farmer, Holstein breeder and also a Mason and a Past Master (1965) of St. John's Lodge #35 in Cayuga. Allison's Mother, Ethel was a well-recognized and fondly remembered elementary school teacher who taught in many one-room schoolhouses in and around Haldimand County as well as supply teaching for many years. There are still a few of her former students still around Haldimand County that recall Ethel's teaching abilities as well as her quick hand at classroom discipline. Allison attended elementary school in Cayuga at J. L. Mitchener in Cayuga, and also at Seneca Central in the suburbs of Empire Corners and later Cayuga Secondary School. After graduation, Allison worked at the Hamilton Street Railway until suffering a partially disabling spinal injury in 1993 and was offered the opportunity to undergo vocational retraining by the Workers' Compensation Board and attended Sheridan College in Brampton. There Allison undertook the two-year Court & Tribunal Program, graduating in 1997 fifth in his class with a 3.72 GPA. After graduation, Allison operated a professional law practice in Haldimand County for 13 years, becoming a regular fixture at many local, and some not-so-local courthouses, and is now embarking on a new career as a writer. Allison has always had a keen interest in history, especially local history and is considered well-informed and knowledgeable on the history of Haldimand County. With Allison being fifth generation on his father's side who emigrated in 1843 after assisting David Thompson with the design and construction of the Grand River Navigation Company's series of locks and dams between 1820 and 1829. On his mother's side, Allison is a sixth generation United Empire Loyalist. Allison has been extremely fortunate to not only has been a witness to history in his time, but also being able to learn about local history, not only at his parents' knee, but on the knees of Allison's numerous relatives (I mean he has a LOT of relatives...you cannot keep their names straight without a program!). In 1999, Allison was initiated, passed and raised into Masonry at St. Andrew's Masonic Lodge #62 and was Worshipful Master at St. Andrew's in 2006. Since then, Allison has served on several District teams, the Craft Association of the Hamilton Districts, the Masonic Past Masters' Association of the Hamilton Districts and the Grand Lodge Library Committee. Allison is also a member of the Murton Lodge of Perfection, the Sovereign Chapter of Rose Croix and the Moore Sovereign Consistory at the Scottish Rite in Hamilton. Allison is currently a member of Hillcrest Lodge, #594 in Hamilton. In 1981, Allison married Annemiek Lavertu of Cayuga, who is currently employed at the Brantford Public Library as a Circulation Clerk, and have resided in Haldimand County since then and in Jarvis for nearly 30 years. They have two adult sons, Gregory and Kyle, both who have joined their father in the Craft.