Canadians from coast to coast will honour the many important accomplishments of Lincoln Alexander on Friday.

Alexander was born in Toronto on Jan. 21, 1922. His father was a carpenter by trade but worked as a railway porter for the Canadian Pacific Railway. His mother worked as a maid.

He served Canada as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, a lawyer, and a civic leader, breaking barriers and blazing a trail for all those who followed him. Alexander’s impact will be felt for generations to come.

Shortly after the Second World War, Alexander worked as a machinist in a Hamilton-based factory, making anti-aircraft guns for the war effort despite being too young to enlist.

He later joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 and served as a corporal until 1945.

Alexander earned a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University in 1949 and graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1953.

He became the first Black person to be elected to Canada’s House of Commons where he represented Hamilton West. He was re-elected four times, serving a total of 12 years.

In 1979, Alexander was appointed minister of labour where he became the first Black Canadian to serve as a federal Cabinet Minister.

In 1985, he was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. He played an integral role in the fight for equity, diversity and inclusion in Canadian Society.

He was a passionate advocate for the advancement of education and served as Chancellor of the University of Guelph and Chair of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.

Alexander died Oct. 19, 2012. Friday would have marked his 100th birthday.

Schools in Hamilton, Ajaz and Mississauga now bear his name as well as the expressway in Hamilton, commonly called “the Linc” in reference to Alexander’s nickname.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will speak at a virtual event hosted by the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Ryerson University at noon.