Shier Mendelson

Mendelson was born to a Jewish family in Romania. However, he immigrated to Canada in 1898 with his parents Hyman Mendelson (1846–1928) and Hinda, née Silverstone (1859–1942).^{[citation needed]}

Mendelson established himself as one of the premier open water swimmers in Canada, winning the Toronto Across-the-Bay Swim (1.5 miles) four consecutive times in 1913, 1915, 1919 and 1920 respectively.^[1][2][3] In 1921, he finished fifth in the world's ten-mile championship water event in Philadelphia, and in 1924 he captured the six-mile title of the United States.^[1][4] In 1927, Mendelson accompanied George Young to California and coached him during the Wrigley Ocean Marathon, which Young went on to win.^[1][5][6] It was around this time that Mendelson largely retired from professional swimming, although he sat for many years as the secretary-treasurer of the Queen City Swimming Club of Toronto.^[7] He and his wife Eva, née Granatstein (1900–1966), had three children, Dr. Jack Mendelson, Dr. Murray Mendelson, and Lenore Mendelson, the latter of whom is married to Dr. Harold Atwood, brother of author Margaret Atwood.^[8]