Harry Feir was born November 20, 1867 in Omemee, Ontario and lived and went to school in the area for the next 19 years. The family owned a farm in the south-east corner of Ops Township and with the addition of various flour and wood mills, it became known as Feir's Mill and is still recorded on the maps of Ontario as such.

In September of 1886, he went to Cambray, Ontario to teach for two years. Cambray is approximately 20 miles north-west of Omemee. In 1888 he journeyed a little farther afield to teach for a year in the school at Argyle. He then moved to Lindsay where he stayed for a year but there is no indication of what he did for a living during that period. It is possible he was only allowed to teach for a three year period before writing the examinations and this he did in the summer of 1890. On August 12, 1890, he received a Departmental Examination Certificate for passing the Junior Leaving Examination. On December 20, 1890, the Province of Ontario issued to him a Public School Teachers Third Class Certificate which was good for a period of three years.

With this in hand, he obtained a job teaching in the school at Omemee until the summer of 1892. He then enrolled in Queens University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1895. After obtaining an extension on his teaching certificate for a two year period, he went back to teaching in Omemee for a one year term and once again returned to Queens University where he graduated in Theology in 1899.

He became a minister of the Presbyterian Church with his first charge at Cadurcis and Fairmont in Minnedosa Presbytery, Synod of Manitoba and N.W.T., where he was licensed and inducted on May 30, 1899 and ordained on July 24, 1899. He was the first ordained resident minister of the church at Cadurcis, which had previously been served by student ministers.

In 1899 the church at Fairmont became self supporting and Rev. Feir was appointed minister of this church also. The new Presbyterian Church in Basswood was opened on November 24, 1901 and Rev. Feir was appointed minister of this new charge until 1904. The people had previously attended church in either Cadurcis or Fairmont.

Shortly after arriving in the Basswood area, Rev. Feir located land to the north-east of Basswood for his brother, Walter Feir, who was still in Ontario. The descendants of Walter (Proven and Ross) still reside in the area.

He next moved to Saltcoats, Saskatchewan, in May 1904. While he had been in Minnedosa he had met Margaret Laidlaw of Toronto, Ontario, who was at that time teaching music in Rapid City, 10 to 15 miles south west of Minnedosa. They were married in Portage La Prairie on June 29, 1905 by Rev. Thurlow Fraser and took up residence in Saltcoats.

In 1909, the Feirs moved to Russell, Manitoba. These were horse and buggy days. In the backyard of the manse, there was a small barn in which they kept a team of ponies. They pulled a hansom buggy in summer and a cutter in winter. Winter travel was often uncomfortable, but then the cutter was equipped with a warm buffalo robe and a foot warmer. Heavy clothing took care of the rest. Roads were poorly defined and often led over open fields. Occasionally, under poor conditions, the horses had to be trusted to find the way home.

Douglas was born December 10, 1912 and became part of the social life of the family. No doubt he was a nuisance on Sunday mornings since his mother was active in the choir and the Sunday School. These were war years and the ladies spent much of their spare time knitting clothing for the troops. The men were also involved in many activities which supported the war effort.

After an eight year stay in Russell, the Feirs moved to Virden on the main line of the CPR. Rev. Feir took charge of the Carmel Presbyterian Church from September 1918 to May 1921. The war ended in November 1918, and was followed by a disastrous flu epidemic that took many lives and left many others in a weakened condition. Rev. Feir was among the casualties. Months of supporting families who had lost sons in the war, caring for the sick and sharing the community duties led to a health breakdown from flu and nervous exhaustion. For a few months the family moved to Winnipeg while he rested and slowly regained his health.

The call came for a new ministry in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The Home Mission Board of the Presbyterian Church undertook to provide religious service and sent the Feirs to pioneer the new charge. They arrived in Penticton, B.C. on June 29, 1921 by the lake steamer Sicamous. It was their wedding anniversary.

The Pastoral charge included Okanagan Falls in the north, Oliver in the centre and Osoyoos in the south. In 1921, none of those communities were very large.Fortunately, the distances were not great: 26 miles from OK Falls to the border. But the roads were gravel and washboard and transportation was by Model T Ford. The old touring car had stiff springs and high pressure tires so that the ride was not comfortable. Side curtains kept out some of the wind and cold but heaters were unknown. This Model T, lovingly known as the Presbyterian Jitney, made many trips to Penticton, carrying the sick to hospital there until Henry Ford introduced the Model A in 1929.

Rev. Feir was a good man for a new district. He stressed community without much regard for denomination. He and Mrs. Feir were always on hand to welcome newcomers. They were full servants of the church in the true sense of the word. Mrs. Feir was the first choir leader and also presided at the piano. There were a number of highlights for the Feirs during the Oliver period. Being the only church in the district, it provided service for all faiths. There were even occasional couples from the United States seeking marriage in B.C.

By early 1931, Rev. Feir decided that a change was desirable. He had done his share in developing a new community. He was called to Ocean Falls and moved there in July of that year. Ocean Falls was a paper mill town, owned and operated by Crown Zellerbach. It was situated on the coast of B.C. at the end of a long narrow inlet. The heavy rainfall in the area provided ample water supply for the mill and the power plant. Homes and services were provided by the company so there was no problem with housing.

The only access to Ocean Falls was by sea. Union Steamships called twice a week bringing mail and supplies. The Prince George or the Prince Rupert of the CNR line made weekly visits. Otherwise residents were confined. In the spring of 1933, Rev. Feir was 65 and wishing for a final ministry closer to civilization. He was settled in Agassiz where he served until retirement on June 30,1938.

His application for retirement was submitted to the Board of Pensions on April 30 1938 and in that document he stated that his reason for retirement was "age" and underneath was the following comment; "The need of all the energy of youth to meet the demands of today".

Retirement years were spent on Laurel street in Burnaby. He became an assistant minister at the Douglas United Church on Laurel Street and took up the duties of Recording Steward and Clerk of Session as well as leader in the Sunday School. His visiting did not cease either, for he made regular rounds of the shut-ins and invalids along the street. In one of his obituaries it states "In the courts of our church, and for years as Home Mission convener, he was always wise in counsel, kindly and understanding in his work".