James B. Rowell (1888-1973) is the subject of the 16th essay in A Noble Company, Volume 12, The Canadians

Evangelism. . .was the animus of his life and ministry. Whether it was a seven-year-old boy on the street in Kamloops, or the engineers during a tour of an engine-room on a cruise ship, or pilgrims climbing the steps of St. Joseph Cathedral in Montréal, or a priest sitting across the aisle in a train carriage, Pastor Rowell seized every opportunity for the gospel. He distributed his own gospel literature and for many years, he and his brother Andrew in England maintained an extensive gospel tract ministry across the world in many different languages. When he arrived in Victoria, he began an open-air ministry with the young people in the downtown area. In the early 1940’s, he seized the opportunity of wartime activity and ministered to the servicemen in the Esquimalt naval base. ----Aaron Dunlop