Alexander Wood

Alexander Wood (January 1772 – 11 September 1844) was a Scottish merchant and magistrate in Upper Canada who was the centre of a sex scandal in 1810.

Early life and career Wood was born at Fetteresso near Stonehaven, Scotland, and he moved to Upper Canada in 1793, Going into business with William Allan, he established himself as one of the city's leading merchants, was gazetted lieutenant in the York militia in 1798, and was appointed a city magistrate in 1800.

Scandal of 1810 In 1810, Wood found himself at the centre of a scandal when he investigated a rape case. The victim, referred to as Miss Bailey, came to Wood claiming that she did not know the identity of her attacker, however she had scratched her assailant's penis during the assault. nor indeed of Wood's actual sexual orientation;

Death Alexander Wood finally returned to Scotland in 1842 and he died there two years later at the age of 72 in Woodcot.

Statue

In 2005, the CWVBIA erected a statue of Wood in the neighbourhood, honouring him as a forefather of Toronto's modern gay community. The statue was taken down on 4 April 2022 by the business improvement association.