Albert Peter Low was born in
Montreal,
Canada East, and attended
McGill University, graduating in 1882. He moved to
Ottawa,
Ontario to work as a surveyor and explorer with the Geological Survey of Canada. Low was recognized by senior officials for his excellent work and handed a series of scientific assignments in the North. Although his career is dotted with distinguished work, Low is perhaps best remembered as the commander of a 1903-04 Dominion expedition to declare Canada's authority over the Arctic, a journey that resulted in a bestselling book,
The Cruise of the Neptune. In 1906, he was appointed director of the
Geological Survey of Canada. In 1907, he became the first deputy minister of the
Department of Mines. He retired from the department in 1913. He died in
Ottawa in 1942. Low was also an athlete, and he played
ice hockey for two famous teams, the
McGill University Hockey Club, considered the first organized hockey club in the world, and the
Ottawa Hockey Club. In 1883, he played
goaltender for the victorious McGill Hockey Club in the 1883 Montreal Winter Carnival. The championship is considered the first Canadian championship. After moving to Ottawa in 1883, he was a founding member of the Ottawa Hockey Club, formed within weeks of the 1883 tournament. In 1884, he would return to the
Montreal Winter Carnival tournament as Ottawa's goaltender and
shutout McGill. He was a member of the Ottawa Hockey Club until 1889.
Aplowite, which is a transparent, pink-coloured cobalt mineral, is named in his honour, as is A. P. Low Primary School in
Labrador City, NL. ==References==