Charles Bruce was born in Port Shoreham, Nova Scotia, in 1906 to Sarah Jane Tory and William Henry Bruce. He attended Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, during which time he struck up a correspondence with poet and journalist Andrew Merkel. He worked as editor for the Argosy during his time at school, then was able to get a job with the Halifax Morning Chronicle after graduating in 1927, during which time he met his wife, Agnes King, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. From 1928 onward, he worked for the Canadian Press, first in Halifax, then in Toronto, Ontario. During his career there, he was an editor, a war correspondent during the Second World War, and eventually, general superintendent. He published multiple books of poetry and one novel, and his poems appeared in various magazines. His book of poems, The Mulgrave Road, won the Governor General’s award for English-language poetry or drama in 1951, and he was awarded an honourary Doctor of Letters from Mount Allison University in 1952. He retired in 1963, and passed away in 1971. He and his wife had four children, including Harry Bruce, who was also an accomplished writer.

James D. Gillis was a teacher and poet from Inverness County, Nova Scotia. He books and poetry, notably The Cape Breton Giant: A Truthful Memoir in 1898. Other works of his included Modern English: "Leave the Old to Old" (1904) and The Great Election (1915 or 1916). He passed away in 1965.