John Keiller MacKay - Ontario's Lieutenant-Governor was the Patron of EHS.
John Keiller McKay was Ontario’s 19th Lieutenant-Governor from 1957 to 1963. He resided at 39 Kingsway Crescent in the Etobicoke neighbourhood of The Kingsway from 1943 until his death in 1970. The Etobicoke Historical Society was established in 1958 and, as was customary for the times, sought a person of significant social standing to act as Patron for the new Society. The new Lieutenant-Governor was asked if he would become the Patron of the EHS which he accepted.
Lieutenant-Governor J. Keiller MacKay (Source: www.lgontario.ca)
J. Keiller MacKay was born in Pictou County, Nova Scotia in 1888. After graduating from one of Nova Scotia’s oldest and most-respected schools, Pictou Academy, he attended The Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario until 1909. He then returned to Nova Scotia and completed a BA in 1912 from St. Xavier University. McKay served during WWI commanding the 6th brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, achieving the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1916 for “conspicuous gallantry in action” at the Battle of the Somme, and in 1918 was seriously wounded at Arras. He left the military after the war but was involved in the formation of the Royal Canadian Legion in 1925 and was its first National Vice-Chairman.
MacKay obtained a degree in Law in 1922 from Dalhousie University in Halifax and was called to the bar in Nova Scotia in 1922 and in Ontario in 1923. He became a specialist in criminal law as a senior partner in the Toronto firm MacKay, Matheson and Martin. He was appointed as a judge to the Ontario Supreme Court in 1935 and the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1950. Then in 1957 came the proudest moment of his career with his appointment as the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1916 for “conspicuous gallantry in action” at the Battle of the Somme, and in 1918 was seriously wounded at Arras. He left the military after the war but was involved in the formation of the Royal Canadian Legion in 1925 and was its first National Vice-Chairman.
MacKay obtained a degree in Law in 1922 from Dalhousie University in Halifax and was called to the bar in Nova Scotia in 1922 and in Ontario in 1923. He became a specialist in criminal law as a senior partner in the Toronto firm MacKay, Matheson and Martin. He was appointed as a judge to the Ontario Supreme Court in 1935 and the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1950. Then in 1957 came the proudest moment of his career with his appointment as the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.
Lieutenant-Governor MacKay and the Queen at Royal York Hotel Banquet. (Source: Ontario Archives)
One of Lieutenant-Governor MacKay’s greatest honours was hosting Queen Elizabeth II in Toronto as part of her first official visit to Canada as Head of State. In what would be the longest Royal Tour in Canadian history, the Queen and Prince Phillip traveled more than 24,000 kilometres during the 45-day trip through all 10 provinces and (then) two territories. Her Majesty’s yacht Britannia arrived in Toronto harbour on the morning of June 29, 1959, for a whirlwind two days of scheduled activities. That evening, the Lieutenant-Governor officiated at a lavish banquet for the Queen at The Royal York Hotel.
The second day of the Queen’s Toronto visit saw her whisked away from downtown in a motorcade with the Lieutenant-Governor on Toronto’s brand- new Gardiner Expressway (opened in 1958) for a 2:41 pm visit at Etobicoke’s new Civic Centre, also just completed in 1958. Hosted by Etobicoke Township Mayor Ozzie Waffle, the visit only lasted about 10 minutes before the Royal entourage made a dash for the “crowning” event of her Toronto visit - the 100th running of the Queen’s Plate at Etobicoke’s new Woodbine racetrack. Woodbine had just opened in 1956 at its present location after relocating from the old site in the Beaches area. The Queen presented the 1959 Plate to Canadian business tycoon E. P. Taylor, owner of the winning horse, New Providence.
The second day of the Queen’s Toronto visit saw her whisked away from downtown in a motorcade with the Lieutenant-Governor on Toronto’s brand- new Gardiner Expressway (opened in 1958) for a 2:41 pm visit at Etobicoke’s new Civic Centre, also just completed in 1958. Hosted by Etobicoke Township Mayor Ozzie Waffle, the visit only lasted about 10 minutes before the Royal entourage made a dash for the “crowning” event of her Toronto visit - the 100th running of the Queen’s Plate at Etobicoke’s new Woodbine racetrack. Woodbine had just opened in 1956 at its present location after relocating from the old site in the Beaches area. The Queen presented the 1959 Plate to Canadian business tycoon E. P. Taylor, owner of the winning horse, New Providence.
Lieutenant-Governor MacKay (middle) with the Queen at Woodbine Racetrack (Source: www.woodbine.com)
Mr. McKay continued his role as EHS Patron after the completion of his term as Lieutenant-Governor. He was present at the 1967 unveiling of EHS’s monument to Etienne Brule in South Humber Park, accompanied by dignitaries from the Ontario and Quebec governments, Etobicoke Mayor Edward A. Horton and EHS President Mary Appleby. Also in 1967, he unveiled a historical plaque for The Old Mill that the EHS commissioned in partnership with The Kingsway Ladies’ Club. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1967 for his contributions as Judge of the Supreme Court of Ontario, Lieutenant-Governor and Chancellor of University of Windsor.
J. Keiller MacKay died on June 12, 1970 at Toronto General Hospital, aged 81. His funeral the following Monday at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on King St. W. was attended by a large gathering of distinguished mourners. Among the honourary pallbearers were former Ontario Premiers Leslie M. Frost and John P. Robarts, and former Toronto Mayor Nathan Phillips. He was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
J. Keiller MacKay died on June 12, 1970 at Toronto General Hospital, aged 81. His funeral the following Monday at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on King St. W. was attended by a large gathering of distinguished mourners. Among the honourary pallbearers were former Ontario Premiers Leslie M. Frost and John P. Robarts, and former Toronto Mayor Nathan Phillips. He was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
The funeral of J. Keiller MacKay at St. Andrew's Anglican Church on June 12, 1970 (Source: Toronto Public Library)
An Etobicoke high school opened in 1971 and was named in his honour, Keiller MacKay Collegiate Institute, near the intersection of Islington Avenue and Highway 401. Due to declining student enrollment, the Toronto District School Board closed KMCI in 1982 and sold it to the Toronto Catholic District School Board. The school is now known as Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School.
His legacy is memorialized by Keiller MacKay Park in North Bay, which includes 52 homes for seniors, and The Lieutenant-Colonel The Honourable J. Keiller MacKay Memorial Trophy, which is awarded for Canadian Armed Forces Regular and Reserve Marching Formations.
Researched and written by Neil Park
His legacy is memorialized by Keiller MacKay Park in North Bay, which includes 52 homes for seniors, and The Lieutenant-Colonel The Honourable J. Keiller MacKay Memorial Trophy, which is awarded for Canadian Armed Forces Regular and Reserve Marching Formations.
Researched and written by Neil Park