Background
McIntyre was born in Forres, Scotland and came to Canada in 1841 at the age of 14.
McIntyre was born in Forres, Scotland and came to Canada in 1841 at the age of 14.
Later, he settled in Saint Catharines, Ontario, where he dealt in furniture. He later moved to Ingersoll, Ontario, then a town of 5,000 on the banks of the Thames in Oxford County, the heart of Canadian dairy country at the time. He opened a furniture factory on the river as well as a store which sold furniture, along with such items as pianos and coffins.
He was well loved in the community, from which he often received aid in hard times, due in part to his poesy and oratorical skills—he was called on to speak at every kind of social gathering in Ingersoll.
The region seems to have inspired him, and it was in celebration of the proud history of Canada, the natural beauty and industry of the region, and especially (as noted above) its cheese, that the majority of his oeuvre was written. The ancient poets ne"er did dream
That Canada was land of cream,
They ne"er imagined it could flow
In this cold land of ice and snow,
Where everything did solid freeze
They ne"er hoped or looked for cheese. from "Oxford Cheese Ode"
An annual poetry contest is held in Ingersoll, Ontario, to honour McIntyre.
The contest is sponsored by The Ingersoll Times and the Corporation of the Town of Ingersoll, and includes a cheese-themed poetry competition.
