Lars was born in Wembley (London) England on February 3, 1933. In 1939 he came to Canada with his parents, Marie and Henry and his sister Karen, arriving in Toronto just a few days before the beginning of WWII. Lars remembers that a German U-boat torpedoed the ship that departed following theirs.

Here we assemble some tributes and remembrances for Lars.

• From the Rideau Trail Association

  • Rideau Trail Association Tribute .. thanks to: https://www.rideautrail.org

Lars came across a property on an island north of Kingston Ontario. After years fo dragging six kids around to campgrounds in Ontario and upstate New York, there must have been a desire to have put down a more permanent base in the woods.

His approach was inspired - instead of building modern cottages, he wanted to preserve and rebuild pioneer log cabins, teaching his children valuable skills while creating lasting memories. A few years earlier McLaughlin Woodworking Museum in Kingston had recently restored a pioneer log cabin, and Lars was intrigued.

He came over from England as a small boy,
so lucky their ship, to make the long trip.
They settled in Canada, in quest of more joy,
his room in Toronto, could be very nip.
He once was among us, but now lives in the stars.
He was our father, his name was Lars.

Can you pick just one photo of Dad?

A Lars Thompson headshot from his time as a candidate for the NDP.

Lars ran for federal and provincial elections five times. Canadian Elections Database - Lars Thompson

Lars was a member of the local school board in Kingston for many (18) years. Frontenac County Board of Education, later renamed Limestone District School Board. The board was founded in a 1998 provincial reorganization of all Ontario school boards. It is an amalgamation of the former Frontenac County and Lennox and Addington County Boards of Education. Wikipedia - Limestone District School Board

The local press liked to contact Lars for comments on local school issues, as he was many years an elected member of the school board.

Lars was a professor at Queen’s University at Kingston, in the Faculty of Education , from 1968 (when it opened) until 1990 ?? (confirm) when he retired.

Through his engaging style of teaching of English, Lars had a broad and positive impact on the many lives he touched. This is captured in some of the guestbook comments at the obituary at the Whig Standard. Whig Standard - Lars Thompson - Obituary

The Sacred Clown is a figure found in many ancient cultures and indigenous traditions around the world. This is not a clown in the modern circus sense, but a ceremonial and spiritual role.

In many Native American tribes, the Sacred Clown is a contrarian figure who acts in a way opposite to the people around them. The Lakota people have the Heyókȟa, who is a jester and satirist. If it’s cold, they might complain of heat; if food is scarce, they might talk of being full. This “backward” behavior is meant to provoke thought and challenge societal norms. They ask difficult questions and point out truths that others may be too afraid to voice.