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William (Bill) G. Grierson was born 24 July 1923 in St. Catharines, Ontario, to Ivan Grierson and Annie Gillespie Grierson. He grew up in Toronto and attended the North Toronto Collegiate Institute from 1936-1941. Grierson served in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals during World War II, running communications lines throughout southern Ontario. In 1945, Grierson enrolled in the Ontario College of Art, later transferring to the University of Toronto School of Architecture, which was located in Ajax following the war. While a student, Grierson studied under Dr. Eric Arthur, the distinguished architectural historian and critic, from whom Grierson developed an appreciation of early Ontario architecture and landscape. In the summer months during his studies Grierson worked at the Vancouver firm of Gardiner Thornton and Partners. Grierson graduated from the University of Toronto in 1950 and began work at John B. Parkin Associates in Toronto. In 1957 Grierson married Joan Robinson and a year later he left John B. Parkin Associates to start his own firm, Grierson & Walker Architects, with Howard Walker.
In 1962 Grierson became a partner in The Architect's Partnership, which became Banz, Brook, Carruthers, Grierson & Shaw Architects (1962-1964), then Banz Brook Carruthers Grierson Shaw Architects (1964-1969), and later Brook Carruthers Grierson Shaw Architects (1969-1974). Notable projects during this period include the Highland Avenue coach house (1962), Old George Place (1965), Ferguson cottage Little Bear Lake (1965), the Imperial Oil Service Centre in Maple (1966), the Toronto French School (1970), and Table Rock in Georgian Bay (1971). In 1975 Grierson left the partnership and founded his own private practice of William G. Grierson Architect Inc. (1975-2001). Among the major projects from this period are the Northwood Pulp and Timber Office in Prince George, B.C. (1974-1977, 1981-1982), the Lowther Avenue coach house (1983), Northwest Pine Island, Georgian Bay (1991), Jacklin Island, Georgian Bay (1994), and Poplar Hill, the Grierson family house (1995). The majority of the working drawings for Grierson’s projects were produced by the Dutch-Canadian draftsman, Keith Hoorn.
Grierson started teaching at the University of Toronto School of Architecture in 1970 where he taught design until 1983. He also served for a time as president of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario.
Over his career Grierson garnered numerous awards for his buildings including a Massey Award selection for Ferguson cottage Little Bear Lake (1970), the Ontario Masons Relations Council Design Programme Design Award (1966), a Massey Award selection (1967), and the Ontario Association of Architects Tourist Industry Design Award (1967) for the Imperial Oil Service Centre in Maple, the Ontario Masons Relations Council Design Programme Award of Merit for the Toronto French School (1971), an Illuminating Engineering Society of North America Lighting Design Award (1978), the Urban Design Awards Office Building Award of Excellence for the Northwood Pulp and Timber Office in Prince George, B.C. (1980), an Ontario Renews Award for achievement in the category of Non-residential to Residential Renovation for the Lowther Avenue coach house (1984), and a Letter of Commendation from Heritage Toronto for alterations to 110 Inglewood Drive in Toronto (1989). Grierson’s design projects reflect his deep appreciation and respect for historic Ontario architecture, combined with his modern approach to siting, lighting, and sustainable design. His nearly 40 year practice was particularly known for its specialization in the design of historic residences in the Toronto area and the many summer homes and cottages he designed in Georgian Bay and across rural Ontario. Grierson died in Toronto in 2001.