The youngest of Bert and Emma, Alec grew up on a farm near Cobourg with his siblings Eva Fisher, Vera Forsyth, and Leonard Lucas. Here, his love of nature and books was nurtured. His wife was Sharon. He was formerly married to Margaret and Coula. Alec's children are George and daughter-in-law Charlotte in White Rock, Suzanne and son-in-law Allan in Kingston, Edward in Halifax and he has five grandchildren.
Schooling began at two-roomed Cook's School and he taught there while studying for a BA and MA from Queen's University. He obtained a Ph.D. in English from Harvard University in 1951. He accepted an offer from University of New Brunswick to return to Canada, teaching English until 1957. Then he taught and wrote at McGill University for 30 The youngest of Bert and Emma, Alec grew up on a farm near Cobourg with his siblings Eva Fisher, Vera Forsyth, and Leonard Lucas. Here, his love of nature and books was nurtured. His wife was Sharon. He was formerly married to Margaret and Coula. Alec's children are George and daughter-in-law Charlotte in White Rock, Suzanne and son-in-law Allan in Kingston, Edward in Halifax and he has five grandchildren.
Schooling began at two-roomed Cook's School and he taught there while studying for a BA and MA from Queen's University. He obtained a Ph.D. in English from Harvard University in 1951. He accepted an offer from University of New Brunswick to return to Canada, teaching English until 1957. Then he taught and wrote at McGill University for 30 years. In his 1984 retirement, he was made an Emeritus Professor. He worked part-time, with a visiting lectureship in Iqaluit. He continued to write, until having a stroke in December 1995.
Alec was an early advocate for the importance of teaching Canadian literature. He was the founding coordinator of the Canadian Studies Program, forerunner of The McGill Institute For The Study Of Canada. He wrote extensively on Canadian literature, including articles for “The Oxford Companion To Canadian Literature” and the “Literary History Of Canada”. He published books on writers such as Hugh MacLennan, Farley Mowat and Peter MacArthur and edited several anthologies of short stories; including the best selling “Great Canadian Short Stories”.
His passion for literature and teaching was matched by his concern for nature. An active conservationist, he bequeathed most of his woodland property at Plaisance, Québec for a nature reserve: the Québec Society Of The Protection Of Birds. Dr. Alec Lucas died of illness in Ottawa at nearly age 90....more
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