J. J. Kelso

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John Joseph Kelso
Born	(1864-03-31)31 March 1864 Dundalk, Ireland
Died	30 September 1935(1935-09-30) (aged 71)
Nationality	Irish
Other names	J.J. Kelso
Known for	advocating for children and animal welfare

John Joseph Kelso (31 March 1864 – 30 September 1935)^[1] was a newspaper reporter and social crusader who immigrated to Canada from Ireland with his family in 1874 when he was ten years old. They suffered hardships of hunger and cold in their early years in Toronto and, throughout his life, this motivated Kelso's compassion towards the poor and unfortunate.

While a reporter for the World and the Globe, Kelso founded the Toronto Humane Society in 1887 for the prevention of cruelty to children and animals, the Fresh Air Fund and the Santa Claus Fund in 1888 to provide excursions and cheer for poor women and children, and the Children's Aid Society (Canada) in 1891.^[1]