Thomas Mackay
Thomas Mackay

Author: Alastair Sweeny

Publisher: University of Ottawa Press

Published: 2022-02-22

Total Pages: 443

ISBN-13: 0776636812

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The Laird of Rideau Hall explores the life and times of Thomas Mackay, the chief founder of Bytown/Ottawa. Born and raised in Perth, Scotland, Mackay and his family emigrated to Montreal in 1817. Partnering with fellow mason John Redpath, he built the locks of the first Lachine Canal, did military construction work at Fort Lennox and St. Helen’s Island, and supplied stone for Montreal’s Notre Dame Basilica. Engaged by Colonel By of the Royal Engineers to build the Ottawa and Hartwell Locks of the Rideau Canal, Mackay used his profits to found the village of New Edinburgh and build a mill complex at Rideau Falls, as well as the residence his daughter named Rideau Hall. With his hefty canal profits—paid in Spanish silver pieces of eight—Mackay was a major financier of the Ottawa and Prescott Railway, and chief promoter of Ottawa as the capital of Canada. He served as Colonel of the Russell and Carleton militias, was MLA for Russell for seven years, and a member of the Legislative Council of Canada for fifteen. After Mackay’s death in 1855, his son-in-law and estate manager Thomas Keefer sold Rideau Hall to the government to serve as a residence for Canada’s Governor General. Keefer also developed a tract of land owned by the estate into the village of Rockcliffe Park, today home to over 70 diplomatic residences.

A Nature Guide to Ontario
A Nature Guide to Ontario

Author: Federation of Ontario Naturalists

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 1997-01-01

Total Pages: 554

ISBN-13: 9780802027559

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Showcases over 600 sites easily accessible by the amateur naturalist. Chapters describe how to get the most out of a nature trip, and provide overviews of Ontario's natural history and rich plant and animal life.

Rideau Waterway
Rideau Waterway

Author: Robert Legget

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2001-12-15

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 144265872X

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'Many years ago, I decided to write a book about the Rideau Canal. It is, therefore, with mixed feelings that I see that Robert Legget has beaten me to the tape. He is to be congratulated ... The definitive work on the Rideau has been written, and I shall value my copy.' Eric Arthur Since the publication of the first edition in 1955, Rideau Waterway has informed and delighted readers, among them historians, engineers, and vacationers. First revised in 1972, this classic guide has once again been brought up to date in a new edition. Robert Legget offers a rich history of the Rideau Canal – an adventure in engineering, built by soldiers and civilian labourers through swamp, bush, and rocky wilderness – as well as a guide to current places of interest along the waterway and stories of the pioneers who settled there. He resurrects the controversy surrounding Colonel John By, Superintending Engineer of the construction of the canal, whose leadership was debated in the British press and after whom By town was named. By town is now Ottawa; Legget traces the city's development from construction camp to national capital. This new edition contains three times as many photographs as the original, and has been even more thoroughly updated than was the revised edition of 1972. Legget has added new information about historical figures and references to developments in the surroundings: the St Lawrence Seaway, the Carillon hydroelectric project, new roads, new bridges, and more. The appendices have been revised to include the latest maps, charts, and fishing information available. In all, Legget has provided a lively guide for boaters and other travellers, and for all those interested in the history of eastern Ontario.