Crerar Avenue is dedicated to Henry Duncan Graham "Harry" Crerar CH, CB, DSO, KStJ, CD, PC (April 28, 1888 - April 1, 1965).
General Crerar was born in Hamilton and attended the Royal Military College (RMC) of Canada. He raised to the rank of Lieutenant-colonel in the First World War, remained in the Army after the war and was appointed Director of Military Operations and Military Intelligence in 1935 and Commandant of RMC in 1938. He had a reputation of being a brilliant mind and the best officer on the Canadian General Staff.
He served in the Second World War, initially as a Brigadier on the General Staff at Canadian Military headquarters in England. In early 1940 he was appointed Vice Chief General Staff in Canada and then later that year he became Chief of the General Staff. He became General Officer commanding 2nd Canadian Division in England in 1941, General Officer Commanding 1st Canadian Corps in England and then Italy in 1942 and General Officer Commanding 1st Canadian Army in 1946.
Crerar retired from the military in 1946. Later, he occupied diplomatic postings in Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands and Japan.
