Howard Barnes was born in Massachusetts, and came to Canada in 1879. After receiving his bachelor's (1893) and D.Sc. degrees (1900) from McGill, he joined the University's Physics Department. In 1908 he succeeded Ernest Rutherford as Macdonald Professor of Physics and in 1919 became chairman of the department. His particular interest was research on icebergs and in reducing ice on the St. Lawrence River. He retired in 1933 and passed away in 1950.

Kenneth Seymour Barnes was born on June 19, 1893, in St John, New Brunswick.

He was a prominent businessman in Montreal. After receiving his education in the Maritimes, Barnes began his career at the Royal Bank of Canada, where he worked from 1904 to 1914. He then held positions at the Royal Securities Corporation in 1915 and at Nesbitt-Thomson Company from 1919 to 1926. In 1926, he joined Flood, Barnes and Company Limited, which later became Flood, Potter and Company.

Throughout his career, Barnes served in several notable roles, including President of Securities and Money Transport, Inc., Chairman of the Executive Committee of Canadian Breweries Ltd., and a Director at Carling Breweries Ltd., Charles Gurd and Co. Ltd., Canadian Industrial Investments Ltd., and Orange Crush Ltd. He was also the Honorary Secretary-Treasurer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.) in Toronto.

In 1921, he married Dorothy Louise Locke (1887–1976). He died on December 26, 1944, in Toronto, Ontario.

Rev. William Sullivan Barnes was born on June 16, 1841, in Boston, Massachusetts.

He was a Unitarian minister who transitioned from the business world to theology by studying at Newton Theological Seminary. In 1864, he was ordained into the Baptist ministry in Melrose, Massachusetts. However, in 1868, due to his increasingly liberal theology and his advocacy for open communion, he left the Melrose church and withdrew from Baptist fellowship. He then accepted a position with the Church of the Messiah (Unitarian) in Montreal, Quebec, where he quickly gained recognition as an outstanding orator. Despite being hampered by shyness and physical frailty, including suffering from asthma—which sometimes necessitated finding a substitute for him on short notice—his personal magnetism drew people to his sermons. He embraced Darwinian evolution, various new scientific theories, and higher criticism of the Bible. His ministry focused heavily on culture and the visual arts, which contributed to his reputation. In 1909, he was awarded an honorary LL.D from McGill University.

However, Barnes was perceived as weak in promoting denominational interests, and the congregation diminished during his tenure.

The archives of the Unitarian Church of Montreal contain the minute books of the Church of the Messiah, a scrapbook with newspaper clippings about Barnes, transcriptions of several of his sermons, and manuscript histories of the congregation. Additionally, there are a few letters in the archives of the Unitarian Universalist Association in Boston, Massachusetts. Barnes also wrote the article on Unitarianism in Canada for "An Encyclopedia of the Country" in 1898.

In 1864, he married Mary Alice Turner (1843-1920). He died on April 2, 1912, in Montreal, Quebec.

Ben Barnett was born about 1873.

He was a well-known newspaperman, songwriter, and playwright. His career spanned over fifty years, including positions at the old New York Star, the New York Sun, The New York Journal American, The Vaudeville News, and The Billboard. In addition, he worked as a booking scout and artists' manager in New York City. He held a membership card with the American Newspaper Guild and was an active member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, as well as the American Guild of Variety Artists.

He died on March 31, 1951, in New York City.