Ernie Coombs
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Ernest (Ernie) Coombs C.M. (November 26, 1927 - September 18, 2001) was a children's entertainer, best known for the long-running Canadian television series Mr. Dressup.
Ernest Coombs was born in Lewiston, Maine, USA, and pursued a career in children's entertainment. As an understudy to Fred Rogers, he came to Canada in 1963 to work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on an early version of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Rogers moved back to the USA the following year, but Ernest decided to stay in Canada, joining a new show called Butternut Square.
In 1967, Butternut Square evolved into Mr. Dressup, which became one of Canada's longest-running and most beloved children's programs. Ernest believed very strongly in gentle, wholesome children's programming that encouraged kids to use their creativity and imagination. As Mr. Dressup, he presented arts and crafts, songs, stories and games for children with his friends Casey and Finnegan, a boy and a dog who lived in a treehouse in Mr. Dressup's back yard.
In each episode, Mr. Dressup would dress up (hence his name) in a costume from his Tickle Trunk, and lead children in an imagination game.
The series ran until 1996, when Ernest retired. The same year, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada. He continued to work as an entertainer, playing roles in family-oriented Toronto stage productions such as Peter Pan, Cinderella and Aladdin, and acted as a spokesman for children's charities.
Ernest died of a stroke on September 18, 2001, in Toronto, Ontario.