He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London in 1954, and on 18 July 1984, Toronto acquired a piece of parkland which was dedicated by Ms. Seitz, naming it Sunrise after Ernest's most famous work.
He had initially intended to pursue a career as a concert pianist in Europe, but the outbreak of World War I made this impossible.
Among his notable pupils were Naomi Adaskin, André Asselin, Ewart Bartley, Muriel Gidley, Reginald Godden, Scott Malcolm, Adelmo Melecci, Earle Moss, Harold Packer, Charles Peaker, and Lorne Watson.
He made a total of 18 appearances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Massey Hall during his career, performing major works by such composers as Bortkiewicz, Chopin, Anton Rubinstein, and Tchaikovsky.
He also worked frequently as an accompanist, playing in concerts for such artists as Arthur Blight, Ferdinand Fillion, and Luigi von Kunits.