William Coates Borrett, author, historian and broadcaster, was born in Dartmouth, N.S. in 1894. He was educated at royal military schools in Canada and Cowbridge Grammer School in Wales. He served with the Canadian Armed Forces in both World Wars. Early in his career he was a pioneer in radio broadcasting, establishing the first commercial station in Nova Scotia in 1926 (CHNS). He was managing director until 1956 when he became vice-president of the Maritime Broadcasting Company. As an author and historian he was known for several books based on "Tales Told Under the Town Clock," a series of talks on CHNS Radio, Halifax, in the 1940s and 1950s. He was also an amateur painter of historic landmarks such as the Old Town Clock. After his retirement from broadcasting he became commandant of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires (Nova Scotia Division) and was also appointed by the Canadian government to oversee the restoration of Citadel Hill. He was honorary superintendent of the National Historic Park until 1962, supervising the early reconstruction and encouraging the opening of the Army and Navy Museums in the casemates and a branch of the Nova Scotia Museum in the Cavalier Barracks. In 1969 the Canadian government presented him with a certificate of recognition for his contribution to the work of the national historic sites programme. He died in 1983.