James McIntyre

James McIntyre (1828–1906) was a Scottish-born Canadian poet who emigrated to Upper Canada in 1841. Settling in Ingersoll, Ontario, he worked as a furniture maker and later as a merchant, while writing poetry that celebrated the agricultural and industrial life of his adopted region. His only published collection, "Poems of James McIntyre" (1889), includes his most famous piece, "Ode on the Mammoth Cheese," a comedic tribute to a 7,000-pound cheese produced in Ingersoll. Though often dismissed as a minor or eccentric figure, McIntyre's work has been preserved as a charming example of 19th-century Canadian vernacular verse. His legacy endures through anthologies of Canadian humor and local history, and he is remembered as the "Cheese Poet" for his unique focus on dairy farming.