Charles Albert Harriss was born in 1862 in London. Son of a church organist, his knowledge of music was passed down to him from his father. In the 1870s he began his official musical training at St. Michael’s College. He soon became a church organist and choir director. In 1882 he immigrated to Canada to become organist of St Alban's Church in Ottawa. The following year, he came to Montréal to take up a similar post at Christ Church Cathedral which he kept until 1886. After that, he occupied the same function at St James the Apostle until 1896. He emerged as an energetic organizer of musical events in the city and organized tours throughout North America with various artists such as Sir Charles Stanley and the famous Emma Albani. His marriage to a wealthy widow, Ella Beatty, allowed him to dedicate his energies to music. In 1904 Harriss was appointed the first director of McGill's Conservatorium of Music (1904-1907). For Harriss – a convinced imperialist – music was an important means of promoting imperial sentiment and loyalty. In 1907, he left McGill to organize the London Imperial Choir and initiated Empire Day concerts in the British capital. Thereafter, he divided his time between London and Ottawa. Harriss was also a composer. He passed away on July 31st, 1929 in Ottawa.

John R. Hart and James Hart, partners in the firm Hart Brothers, were in the business of mining and producing oil. They were the principal owners of the leaseholds of nine adjoining farms in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The other brothers, Guy Hart and Thomas Hart, were drilling oil wells contractors and, William C. Hart was a field superintendent. In the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, the patent applications were filed by William J. Hart, inventor from Hart Brothers & Co, regarding heating, cooling, insulating equipment for boreholes or wells, e.g. for use in permafrost zones.

Born in Europe, Aaron Hart (ca 1724-1800) emigrated to America and in 1760 followed the British army into Canada. A merchant who furnished supplies to the commissariat of the British army, Hart settled in Trois-Rivières where he engaged in various business activities including the fur trade. He also acquired large tracts of land including the seigneuries of Sainte-Marguerite and Becancour. In 1768 he married Dorothy Judah; they had four sons, Moses, Ezekiel, Benjamin and Alexander, and four daughters. Ezekiel (d.1843), like his father, was a merchant in Trois-Rivières. In 1807 he was elected as the representative for Trois-Rivières in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada but could not sit as a member because he could not take the customary oath "on the true faith of a Christian". In 1808 he was re-elected but again was unable to sit for the same reasons. Although nominated in 1809, he withdrew his candidature during the electoral campaign. His son, Adolphus M. Hart (1814-1879) became a prominent lawyer in Montréal.