Ossian “Ossie” Walli, a well-known educator and founding architect of the post-secondary Haileybury School of Mines, died recently in New Liskeard, Ont., after a brief illness. He was 88. Born at Copper Cliff, Ont., in 1903, Walli is best known for his association with Haileybury where he served as a principal for 22 years until the Ontario mining school was incorporated into Northern College in 1967. He retired two years later as president of Northern College. After graduating from Queen’s University in 1925 with a B.Sc. degree in chemical and metallurgical engineering, Walli spent several years in industry with the Kaufman Rubber Co. and Inco Ltd.
His long career as an educator began in 1932 and included spells at Hamilton Technical Institute and Timmins High and Vocational School. In 1945, when the Ontario government issued a charter for “The Provincial Institute of Mining” at Haileybury, Walli, as principal, worked closely with the mining industry to establish a curriculum.
Colleagues credit him for exposing a diverse group of students, many of whom had only partial high school credit, to college level courses like chemistry, geology, mineral dressing and surveying.
Walli received many honors and awards during his distinguished career. They include the Haileybury Alumni Association plaque, the “Cobalt Man of the Year Award” and the Citizenship Award for Education. In 1972, he received a citation from William Davis, then provincial premier, and just before he died, the Haileybury Alumni Association put forward his name for nomination to the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.
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