Thomas McKay

Thomas McKay
Thomas McKay
Born	1 September 1792; Perth, Scotland
Died	9 October 1855
Nationality	Canadian
Occupation	Architect

Thomas McKay

Ottawa, Ontario

.

Biography

McKay was born in

stonemason. He emigrated to the Canadas in 1817, and settled in Montreal

.

He became partners with

locks on the lower section of the Rideau Canal, between the Rideau River and the Ottawa River at Bytown. McKay also built two stone spans for the Union Bridge, which was the first bridge across the Ottawa River between Hull, Quebec and Bytown. The Commissariat building built by McKay in 1827 during the construction of the Rideau Canal now serves as home to the Bytown Museum and is the oldest surviving stone building in the city of Ottawa

.

McKay was one of the few business leaders to remain in Bytown after the canal project was finished. He bought land at the intersection of the Rideau River and Ottawa River and laid out a town, which he named New Edinburgh. McKay built a sawmill and a gristmill on land there. He encouraged Scottish immigrants to come to the area and it became a prosperous industrial centre. He was an Elder and Trustee of St. Andrew's congregation of the Church of Scotland, and partly responsible for the acquisition of The Glebe lands for St Andrew's. He was also a founding trustee of Queen's College.

Thomas McKay became quite wealthy and in 1837 he bought 1100 acres (4.5 km²) east of the village. On the western edge of this new land he built in 1838 for himself a limestone

Prescott and Bytown Railway that had its terminus at a station near Sussex Drive

just south of New Edinburgh.

McKay entered politics serving on Bytown's city council, and then the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada from 1834 to 1841. From 1841 until his death in 1855, he served on the Legislative Council of the United Province of Canada.

Thomas McKay was interred in the

MacKay United Church

is named in his memory.

Elections

v t e 1874 Canadian federal election: Colchester
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal–Conservative	Thomas McKay	1,429
	Liberal	F.M. Pearson	1,313

Party		Candidate	Votes
By-election on 17 December 1874 On Mr. McKay being un-seated on petition, 14 November 1874
	Liberal–Conservative	Thomas McKay	1,818
	Unknown	Alex C. Page	951

v t e 1878 Canadian federal election: Colchester
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal–Conservative	Thomas McKay	1,829
	Unknown	Alex C. Page	1,453

Works

Building	Year completed	Builder	Style	Source	Location
McKay and McKinnon cloth mill		Thomas McKay		Library and Archives Canada, C-003853	Rideau Falls near Ottawa, Ontario
Stone House currently the Bytown Museum	1827	Thomas McKay			Ottawa, Ontario
Rideau Hall	1838	Thomas McKay	Scottish Regency		Ottawa, Ontario
Earnscliffe	1855	Thomas McKay	Scottish Regency		Ottawa, Ontario

Notes

^ He spelt his surname "McKay" but places named in his honour frequently use "MacKay", or "Mackay" instead.

References

^ Pound, Richard W. (2005). Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates. Fitzhenry and Whiteside.

Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online

[1] He spelt his surname "McKay" but places named in his honour frequently use "MacKay", or "Mackay" instead.

[2] Pound, Richard W. (2005). Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates. Fitzhenry and Whiteside.

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