The history of Ottawa is not only about the majestic Parliament buildings but also about the lives of people who overcame barriers and created the city’s social foundation. Among such figures, Dr. Harry Dover holds a special place. As the eldest son of the prominent Dover family, he became a symbol of professional excellence and religious resilience. His journey from the son of early Jewish settlers to the first Jewish doctor and coroner in Canada is a fascinating chronicle of courage that deserves the attention of everyone interested in Ontario’s history. Ottawaski will tell you more about the legendary doctor and the first Jewish coroner in Canada.
History of the Dover Family
John, Minnie, and her brother Aaron Cohen arrived in New York in 1885. They emigrated from Lithuania. Upon arrival, John and Aaron started a saloon business. It did not last long. John began selling dry goods and later headed to Canada due to the expansion of the railways. He sold watches and chains to lumberjacks, earning a living this way. His travels took him as far west as Winnipeg, where he encountered the outbreak of the North-West Rebellion in 1885.
John’s childhood sweetheart was Minnie, with whom he and her brother ventured to leave their home country. In 1888, John and Minnie married in New York, and the following year they moved to Ottawa.
John Dover became the first Orthodox Jewish settler. At that time, the Jewish community in the region was actively growing. Reviewing information from the Ottawa Jewish Archives, one can learn that he is first mentioned in the city directory for 1890-1891. He was listed as a peddler living at 15 Papineau Street.
Their son, Harry Dover, is considered the first Jew born in Ottawa in April 1890. It is worth noting that the Dover family quickly became prominent in the community. For three years, religious services were held at the Dover home at 74 Nelson Street. Around the same time, construction began on a synagogue to accommodate the Jewish community.
In 1892, John received a charter and became the first president of the community. This refers to the founding of the Adath Jeshurun congregation.
Dover Family Business
Until 1905, John was engaged in peddling, using a horse and cart for this purpose. John Dover managed a store in Almonte, Ontario, for about seven years, where he was the only Jew in town. By 1911, he opened a wholesale grocery store on York Street in Ottawa. He managed this store until 1927, up to the moment of his retirement.
In 1949, the patriarch of the Ottawa Jewish community, John Dover, tragically died. He was struck by a streetcar. The service was conducted by Rabbi Simon Eckstein with the participation of Reverend J. Babin. John Dover’s burial took place at the Ottawa Jewish Cemetery.
Children of the Dover Family
John and Minnie had five sons (Harry, Joseph, Dave, Jack, Michael) and two daughters (Hettie (Nathanson) and Sylvia (Rosenthal). Harry was born in 1890, and the second son in 1895.
Most of the Dover sons worked in trade in Ottawa, while Sylvia married Charles Loeb of the famous Loeb dynasty in Canada. She later moved to New York, where she worked as a nurse. Joseph (Joe) Dover opened a hardware store on Rideau Street in 1941, and Michael managed Capital Tire Sales. David Dover owned a wholesale tobacco and confectionery store. Hettie married Dr. Joseph Nathanson.
However, I would like to tell more about the family’s eldest son, focusing on his achievements.
Harry Dover
In 1914, he graduated from the medical faculty of the prestigious McGill University. This made Harry Dover Ottawa’s first Jewish doctor. The young doctor’s ambitions did not allow him to stop there. He began to improve his knowledge in clinics in Ottawa and New York, where he completed postgraduate studies and an internship.
During the First World War, Dr. Dover joined the Canadian Army Medical Corps with the rank of captain. For two years, he served as a neuropsychiatrist at the Coburg Military Hospital, saving veterans from the severe consequences of shell shock.
There was also an unexpected period in Harry Dover’s biography in Eganville, where he managed a general store and traded furs, combining the family’s business acumen with medical practice.
Canada’s First Jewish Coroner
From 1920, Dr. Dover returned to private practice in Ottawa. Initially, he worked in the surgical department of the Protestant General Hospital. Shortly after, he took the position of coroner (forensic medical examiner).
This was unprecedented. Harry became the first Jew in Canada to be entrusted with such a high government position. His honesty, deep knowledge of medicine and law made him an unquestionable authority in courtrooms and medical circles.
Family Life
In 1923, Harry married Calla Lecker from Montreal. Their family became an important part of Ottawa’s intellectual life. The couple had three children:
- Mina Dover Cohen (named after her grandmother), born in 1924 in Ottawa. She was a highly educated woman who actively researched the history of her family and the Ottawa Jewish community as a whole. She donated a significant amount of archival materials, letters, and documents from her father and grandfather to the Ottawa Jewish Community Archives. Thanks to her efforts, a lot of valuable information was uncovered;
- Joy-Kerry Fireman (Dover), born in 1926. She was a violinist and musicologist who contributed to the development of classical music in Ottawa and Montreal;
- Martin Bernard Dover, born in 1927 in Ottawa.
Dr. Harry Dover died in 1960 in Montreal, Quebec.
Interesting Facts about the Dover Family
- The family’s real surname was different, similar to “Dovel.” An immigration officer changed it when John, Minnie, and Aaron entered the US.
- The Dover family was extremely devout. Before the first ritual slaughterer (shochet) appeared in the city, the family brought kosher meat from Montreal.
- At the time Harry was born, it took John Dover three days to reach a mohel by horse for the circumcision ceremony. There was no railway yet.
- Despite the parents working hard, they gave their children an excellent education.
- In 1888-1889, the Dover family purchased a plot for the future Jewish cemetery, which was registered in John’s name. That is where he was buried.
All this testifies that John Dover laid a solid foundation for a large family and for the entire Jewish infrastructure of Ottawa (from the first synagogue to the cemetery). His son, Harry Dover, continued this tradition of service, becoming a pioneer in medicine.
A Legacy Living Through the Ages
Dr. Harry Dover is one of many representatives of Ottawa’s Jewish history. Preserving the past and remembering important figures is the goal of the OJHS and the Ottawa Jewish Archives. These are two separate organizations. OJHS provides financial and individual support to the Archives, including funding several digitization projects.
Dr. Harry Dover did not just treat people; he fought against prejudice. His career proved that professionalism and dedication are capable of overcoming any social boundaries. Today, remembering the Dover family, we see not just a page from Ottawa’s past, but an example of how one family can change the face of an entire capital. Harry Dover’s story is a reminder that true pioneers build bridges between cultures, leaving behind a light that does not fade for decades.