​​Thomas Graeme Gibson was born on 6 April 1908. On 8 April 1943, at the age of just 35, he became the youngest Brigadier-General in the Canadian Army at the time — a testament to his exceptional leadership and tactical ability. These qualities would soon play a pivotal role in the final months of World War II. 

​As the war neared its end, Gibson took command of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division within the 1st Canadian Army. Between February and June 1945, his brigade spearheaded operations to liberate the eastern and northern provinces of the Netherlands. 

​Moving swiftly from Germany into Dutch territory, the 7th Brigade liberated towns like Zutphen and Gorssel before reaching Deventer. On 10 April 1945, they entered the city of Deventer. The German forces had mostly retreated, allowing the Canadian troops to take control with minimal resistance. For the people of Deventer, it was the end of five long years of occupation — and the beginning of freedom and rebuilding. 

​Just twelve days after liberation, on 22 April 1945, Thomas Gibson was named the first honourary citizen of Deventer. The official ceremony and presentation of the certificate took place on 6 October 1945, during a public celebration of the city’s liberation. 

​That same day, the then-named Zwolschestraat — a main street leading into the city — was renamed TG Gibsonstraat in his honour. It remains a lasting tribute to the man who led Deventer into freedom. After the war, Gibson returned to Canada, where he passed away in Toronto on 3 January 1986. In Deventer, however, his legacy lives on — not only through the street that bears his name, but in the memory of liberation and the enduring friendship between the Netherlands and Canada.