Sandford Fleming

Date of birth

1827

Point of origin

Scotland

Fleming was mentored in engineering in Scotland, and moved to Canada West in 1845.

Ideas & Innovation

A globe with the alphabet around the equator.

Sandford Fleming used this globe to explain his proposal for standard time and time zones. These became necessities as transportation technology allowed people to pass through many independent time zones very quickly, causing time and scheduling confusion

Library and Archives Canada/Sandford Fleming fonds/c001166

Black and white photo of Sandford Fleming and six other men.

From an 1881 photograph album of the Canadian Pacific Railway, this image shows Sandford Fleming (seated at right) with other people involved in the Intercolonial Railway.

William James Topley photo, Vancouver Public Library 429

Photo of a postage stamp with a beaver picture and a ruler underneath for scale.

Sandford Fleming was the artist for the Province of Canada's first stamp, pictured here. The stamp was issued in 1859.

Canadian Museum of History, SCOTT #15

Black and white portrait photo of Sandford Fleming holding his glasses and a book.

Portrait of Sandford Fleming, a key engineer in Canada’s railway systems and proponent of the use of standard time and time zones.

Library and Archives Canada/Lawrence Johnston Burpee fonds/c001182

Sandford Fleming, 1827-1915, Scotland.

Fleming was mentored in engineering in Scotland, and moved to Canada West in 1845. He recertified as an engineer. He worked on rail and other projects in Canada West and was chosen in 1867 to be the chief engineer of the Intercolonial Railway, as well as consulting for the CPR. His experience travelling in Europe and North America made him an energetic proponent of the implementation of standard time. He also designed Canada’s first postage stamp.