A man of many hats

Hats have been used for many things throughout their existence. They have been used to keep the sun out of one’s eyes, to keep warm or to keep dry in rough weather conditions, to protect oneself in high-risk situations, to express oneself fashionably, or, finally, for ceremonial purposes. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.

Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.



or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! Hats have been used for many things throughout their existence. They have been used to keep the sun out of one’s eyes, to keep warm or to keep dry in rough weather conditions, to protect oneself in high-risk situations, to express oneself fashionably, or, finally, for ceremonial purposes.

Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Opinion Hats have been used for many things throughout their existence. They have been used to keep the sun out of one’s eyes, to keep warm or to keep dry in rough weather conditions, to protect oneself in high-risk situations, to express oneself fashionably, or, finally, for ceremonial purposes. This Halloween, I wore my grandfather’s trapper hat as one of the main pieces for my costume.

However, there were many costumes I could have worn in combination with the many hats my grandfather, John Hamerton, wore. He owned many hats, including his academic cap, his Tilley hat, and his many bucket hats, including but not limited to his terrycloth hats and others. All these hats show how knowledgeable, vast, and fulfilled my grandfather’s life was.

To honour him, I am going to review all his hats and how they correspond to the different parts of his life, from his early life in England to his many achievements in Manitoba. Firstly, perhaps one of his most distinguished pieces of headgear is his academic cap. If he could wear his cap along with his academic robes for any sort of academic event whatsoever, he would, and rightfully so.

John Hamerton was born in England and studied at the University of London until he got his PhD and studied at Guy Hospital in London. Over the years, he contributed substantially to the academic world of science, mostly surrounding human cytogenetics: the study of chromosomes in relation to cell behavior. To express this contribution numerically, he wrote 175 scientific papers, 68 abstracts, published multiple books and published sixteen papers in the renowned Nature magazine.

École secondaire Neelin High School Colin Shaw describes the hats his grandfather wore as he led a fulfilling life. (Submitted) His most seminal contribution to the field of genetics (in 1956) was verifying that the number of human chromosomes was 46 instead of 48. After moving from Britain to Winnipeg, he became head of the department of genetics at the Winnipeg Children’s Hospital.

But, more impressively, after just three years of living in Winnipeg, he became a professor at the University of Manitoba; 12 years later, he became head of the Department of Human Genetics at the medical school there; and three years later, he became a distinguished professor. His academic prowess extended beyond just writing papers and conducting research, but also to heavily influencing the trainees and other people he was working with who are now spread out across the world, such as Abraham Shalev, Nicola Royle, Jospeh Knoll and others who have all made many contributions in many different fields. Because of his immense participation and work in the academic world, in 2003, three years before his death, he was named officer of the Order of Canada.

Secondly, John Hamerton wore multiple outdoor hats throughout his life, reflecting his passion for exploring the great outdoors. For instance, he wore a variety of bucket hats throughout his photography phase, where he heavily committed to the hobby by building a darkroom in his basement and travelling to many locations such as Churchill, Great Britain and the Rocky Mountains. However, he didn’t just photograph the mountains; he also hiked there, while of course wearing his iconic bucket hats.

Before tackling the enormous mountains, he hiked at Riding Mountain National Park, Spruce Woods Provincial Park, and at Lake of the Woods. His outdoor expedition expanded beyond hiking; he was also an avid cross-country skier, for which he wore his red or blue toques. He also wore these toques while dogsledding, another hobby that he took very seriously, so much so that he bred Alaskan Malamuts to pull the sleds.

The final hat John Hamerton wore was his Tilley hat, which was worn primarily while he was sheep farming. After living in Winnipeg for a few years, my grandfather felt he needed more space since he had many dogs bounding around his yard, so he moved with his family to an acreage just outside of Winnipeg where he bought sheep to keep the grass levels down on the property. This simple decision acted as a catalyst for what would become a lengthy career in the world of sheep farming.

Similar to his dog sledding and photography hobbies, my grandfather dedicated a terrific amount of time and effort and learned everything there was to know about it. In addition, he spent hours volunteering and improving the sheep industry in Manitoba. Because of this hard work, he eventually became the president of the Manitoba Sheep Association, chaired the Canada Sheep Council and solved many problems in the industry, including keeping performance records of sheep and other documentation.

To make his feats even more impressive, all of these contributions were made while he was still working full time as a professor at the University of Manitoba. To conclude, my grandfather, John Hamerton, was indeed a man of many hats as he contributed to the many fields he participated in. Additionally, he would also give his best effort into learning about whatever hobby or subject he was interested in.

From his strong contributions in genetic research to his role in the Manitoba sheep industry, it is very safe to say that John Hamerton lived life to his fullest by finding time to make the world a better place as well as delighting everyone he surrounded himself with. It is a shame that I never met such a well-rounded man, yet I do believe I can feel a connection in the many hats he left behind. » Colin Shaw is a Grade 11 student at École secondaire Neelin High School Advertisement Advertisement.