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Mackenzie family has long history in Town Mackenzie Build All has been chosen Business of the Year by George town Chamber of Commerce The family and business has a long lion in starting in Acton and expanding into Georgetown Following is a family history as described in Sketches by John McDonald John Boyd Mackenzie was bom on the Nassagawey a Town Line just south of Acton in 1876 He farmed with his father and eventually started a carpentry and contracting business in Acton winch resulted in the opening of a carpentry shop and planing mill in 1900 It was 1909 when J Mackenzie bought out the planing business in George own of P The original planing mill still stands at the comer of James and Draper Streets and now comprises part of the present J MackcnzieLumbersite Mackenzie was responsible far the building of many residential and com buildings throughout both Acton and Georgetown His first contract Georgetown was to remodel the livery stables on Mill Street for John A This building is now the pre sent home of the Georgetown Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion It of interest to note that the same firm J B Mackenzie and Son has been in in renovations inside the building when the original lounge was installed several years later Mackenzie also sub contracted the building of the Georgetown Coated Paper Mills which was owned by Domtar Fine Papers Trus was the first building in he area constructed of re inforced concrete When one considers J B Mackenzie owned both the Acton and Georgetown mills when only years of age he must have been an ambitious young man A col example of his determination is depicted when the subcontractors for the placing of the large post office clock in Acton were having dlffcullies came on the scene and offered to do the job He was able to raise and set the new clock into position by using a series of pulleys and ropes hitched onto his Model One of his most pleasing architectural contributions to the beauty of Georgetown was the Mackenzie residence known as the Birches which was built In 1915 In an earlier chapter mentioned John Willoughby of real estate fame contributing a piece of land for the erec tion of a public library in Georgetown When the Congregational Church was deeded for this purpose WUloughby sold the piece of land for and gave the money towards the purchase of new books and equipment It was J B Mackenzie who bought this parcel of land and built the lovely home which stands today at the cor or Mill and Park Streets in Georgetown A group of Georgetown businessmen In eluding Mackenzie were early land speculators They would purchase tracts of land subdivide and build One such ven ture involved the purchase of the old Georgetown Academy which was situated on what is now Academy Road The plan was to tear down the old brick building and erect some new homes with the material Apparently an old man who had taken refuge In the building would not leave when served notice While workmen tore the building apart he sat inside until the location was hazardous and played his violin Two brick houses stand on the comer of Victoria Street built by J B Mackenzie from the remains of the old Academy Mackenzie as responsible for the erec tion of two buildings which formerly as theatres In both Georgetown Ac ton The old Gregory Theatre in Acton which was situated where the present A B Supermarket is and the Mackenzie Building which housed the Roxy Theatre in Georgetown until the 195s fire and now is the Gregory and Restaurant are ex am pies of the Mackenzie firm impor tance with regard to earlier buildings in he two towns The J B Mackenzie and Son Lumber Company have added to or remodelled almost every building on the main streets of both Acton and Georgetown over the years and contracted additions to many of the local schools For a of years the Mackenzie manufactured a small incubator which was operated by a coaloil burner This item could be found on chicken farms from coast to coast during the part of this century In 1907 John Mackenzie married a girl Eliza McQueen who taught primary classes in Acton They resided at Church and Main Streets in Ac ton in a cement block house which he erected some time before marriage until moving to Georgetown in 1915 The business has been affiliated with Allont and Building Supplies since and is now managed by J B grand son Sandy J B Mackenzie served man as a school trustee water commissioner member of George own council and as major of Georgetown from 1330 to This was of course during tht Great Depression and the days when municipal councillors on salary John Boyd Mackenzie died the day after Acton Fall Fair in He loved o visit the annual fairs in the area and renew Id acquaintances high integrity which is typified in one of tin favorite sayings A deal a good one unless it works or the two people concerned He had several subcontractors who worked for him over the years who copied his fee without question knowing that it would be fair and equitable The integrity of the business speaks for itself when one considers this chapter was written on the anniversary of ding of the still thriving firm of J Mackenzie and Son GeorgetownActon Wednesday February l 1984 Esquesing rebel Stewart incarcerated in Kingston escapes This is the third and final instalment of the John Stewart saga the Esques rebel from the Scotch Block As Ontarions rediscover their roots in bicentennial year the story of Stewart takes on new importance On the first Instalment Stewart was indicted for rebellion in as a follower of William Lyon Mackenzie the fiery Toronto Scot The second instalment tells how Stewart and his followers arrived too late to help Mackenzie with his ill fated rebellion They were captured and taken to gaol in Toronto The series was taken from John Stewarts own testimony to a judge and has been edited by Rob Burnett of the Esquesing Historical Society At the end of ten days I got out or hat awful den and was placed in a room among men of my own kind I gat amongst a line lot of fellows whihng away our time until our trials commenced as best we could The hearts of the prisoners sickened when they heard that and Mathews were condemned to be hanged on April 12 Stewart evidently expected a similar sentence but was relieved when sentence pronounced on Anderson and Montgomery whose trials followed those or and Mathews were commuted for transportation to Van Da mien Land for life The Counsel for many of the prisoners knowing how futile it was to allow their clients to throw themselves on the partisan tribunal sitting in judgement advised them to admit their guilt and throw themselves on the clemency of the executive There was little hope tor clemency from that quarter and accordingly Mr Stewart with other fellow patriots Americans and two felons were called out In twos chained to gether and ironed Their destination was Fort Henry in Kingston there to await until a steamer should arrive to carry Ihim to Van Da ml en Land Mr Stewart bothers were working on a building on corner of Toronto and King Sis One of them brought him clothing and money In Irons The prisoners heavily ironed were then put in carts and taken down to the foot or Church St where a steamer was ready to receive them The greatest excitement pre vailed among a vast concourse of people all along the route Loyalists were in the heyday of rejoicing and those who sympathized with the victims of oppression did not dare open their mouths Mr Stewart remembers seeing Matt Langler on Church St and lifting up his foot and pointing to the iron he said Matt tell them In the Block this is the medal I have won for them They arrived in Kingston on Sunday after noon and were locked securely in Fort Henry after being compelled to walk from Ihe city to the fort in Irons and at the same time carry their boxes on their shoulders Then began the scheme for escape which for coolness and daring of execution has no in the history of Canada The 15 rebels were put in one room zealously guarded by a gaoler and relays of soldiers occupying the fort Although the walls were insurmountable continues Mr Stewart we bad hope of escape judging that there was some underground possa ge if it only could be found We used to pick up scraps of iron for use if necessary The room next to ours was used by the Regiment before leaving for the West Indies as a mess A chance of escape n The door was left open one day and Leonard Watson going into the room notic a trap door in the far end He went down leading from the trap door and dis covered to our great joy a subterranean passage Lord Durham was expected to JOHN STEWART The patriarch pass through Kingston on his way to Toronto at this time and decided to delay an at tempt at escape until we should learn the answer which he would give to our petition When he returned to Toronto he sent his aidedecamp to tell us hat he would lay our petition before Her Majesty This was on a Thursday and wc determined Ihen and there to help ourselves The fort was so arranged that doors led from one room to the other One side of space for the door was built with stone the thickness of the wall being six feet We numbered the stones and with the iron picked out the mortar The mortar we hid in the stove and the stones in cur beds Everything was earned on in the night time so that on Saturday ight the aperture through which we were to escape was completed When all was quiet on Saturday nigni we sent three of our men to examine the passage When they got to the gun room they were feet above the When Parker came back he said it would be a if any of us could get out Next day was Sunday and we determined to try our luck at night We placed a bed against the upon which Montgomery sat all day reading his Bible to avoid suspicion The floor being of black oak we kept damp to keep down the color of the mortar On the night before 1 made steps on one side of the planks of the floor by making incisions with ajackknifc This we carefully hid because it was by this plank that we were to scale the walls tothcramparts Tbeescape When all was ready at midnight we pass into the adjoining room and getting into passage soon came to the gun room The most perilous part of the work was yet to come we had to descend from the gun room to the huge ditch below where we might be certain to be seen by the We heard the officer of the night call out our guards and we could hear them talking My God said are discovered but soon we learned that was not the case At last the signal was given and we began to descend to the ditch according to pre arranged numbers each helping the other up We were not to until a signal was Riven by those who went to place the planks the ladder against the wall The moon up to this time was shining brilliantly but all at once a terrific of wind and rain broke out as iT to hide us from the soldiers dose at hand In going to the ladder we were ordered to keep close to the taside wall bat Montgomery instead of keeping up with the rest strayed to the outer wall and fell into a ditch He injured his knee so seriously that he had to be almost earned by us from that out A betrayal One by one we climbed the wall and as soon as Parker who was the only man among us who knew the best direction to take for the woods got up he left us all He betrayed his comrades at the most critical time of our escape He made for the city but the bridgo across from the peninsula was guarded and ho was arrested When we got over the wall we were no distance from the patrols and hearing the call of the sentry that all was well we began our travels east ward travelling through the woods all night Monday morning broke fair and while we were going along the road we saw two men coming toward us We again made for the woods and after going some dis tance sat down to rest Montgomery had to be assisted by two of us in rotation While resting Brophy proposed that we return thanks to Almighty God for our mira deliverance which each of us did for himself and all We decided then to divide into parties and asked Montgomery to select the four men he wished to remain with him He chose John Anderson the two Shephards and myself We then separated In the morning when it became known that prisoners had escaped officers and soldiers were astounded refusing until ocular demonstration was given to believe that such a thing was possible The pursuit At once soldiers and guards were sent out in pursuit and descriptions of the refugees were given to the settlers east and west of Kingston The boats along the St Lawrence were seized to prevent the escape of the prisoners to the other side but the sequel will show that the officers of the law had to deal with no ordinary men They calculated each step of their escape the only break of which was the monstrous selfishness and treachery of Parker who was always preaching that if once outside he would lead them safely to a point where access could be obtained to the Amencanside of the river The wretched refugees were laboring under the disadvantage of not knowing whither they were going and not daring to trust any of the settlers in the district They knew that they were pursued and that the story of their escape would soon be In every one mouth They stuck to the woods and weary with marching and famished with hunger they pitched their camp the first night in a dense forest Their bed was hem lock brush but as Mr Stewart said They slept soundly and he sleep of the just Next day was so cloudy in the forenoon that they were unable to make any head way but in the afternoon the sun broke out and they travelled until they came to the edge of a clearing where they pitched their camp Mr Stewarts narrative from this point explains the trying position in which theyhadcorne He says Next day it was decided that one of us should go on a foraging expedition but the danger was great Who was to go John Anderson was He would not do as he could be recognized William Reid had red eyes bad a mole on his cheek the had a blunt manner so it was decided that I was the man to go After making them promise to come to my rescue if waylaid I proceeded and soon came to a farm house the only one in being a woman After explaining that I was hunt oxen which strange to say she said were along with theirs for days 1 asked for some bread The woman said she was abort and could not give me any Leaving the house I came up to a man who was mowing In the field In answer to my question be said there were no rebels arouod there left Mm but bad not gone far when this man and two Scotchmen followed us with their rifles suspecting us to be the escaped I a Georgetown Mountainview Rd N GEORGETOWN o775108 Toronto Line Mark Schradershows off the project thai earned him first place in the biology division of the Science Fair last week Mark topic was Breaking Cattle Second was PlnnuOandlhlrd was O Green green grass Other winners In Physical Science David Voltaic Cell first Rick Aerodynamics and Jason Solly Density third In the general science class Nancy McDonnell Ihe Best Quarterpounder first Claudia Which Wood Soaks Best second and Bill third Fisher sa Scholar plaque idea is dumb and a farce The provincial government idea to do away with the cash award for Ontario Scholars and present just a plaque is a farce and skirting the issue says Board of Education chairman Betty Fisher The Georgetown trustee looks upon the possible reason behind the proposal as saving money and not facing the matter head on from the provincial point of view Fisher stressed she was speaking as an individual and was not necessarily presenting the view of the other trustees However she feels the real issue is clouded and the plaque proposal Is not solving the problem Fisher said she is all for Ontario Scholars but feels the marks counted should be for the first time marks and not for those courses taken over Fisher told this newspaper In a lot of cases students want to better their marks and take same course two or three or more times While she emphasized she is not against students doing this labelling it commendable she does not think it right a second or third time around that the mark should be used when it comes to figuring out percentages for the Scholars She does not think students getting so per cent or more after the first try should be in the same bunch as those who try more than once The Georgetown representative said she recently learned the Ministry of Education was considering doing away with the cash awards because they were becoming suspicious of high number of scholars in recent years In 19 Dogs kill 29 sheep Damage to livestock by dogs or wolves cost the taxpayer last year The livestock evaluator who Inspected the dead or injured animals was paid of that amount and he province reimbursed the Town under the Dog Licensing and Livestock and Poultry Protect Act Sheep or lambs are the favorite target for the marauders During sheep or lambs were killed by dogs or wolves running at large In addition 10 goats were killed and another injured One former lost 15 chickens and seven turkeys while another had a gander killed One of the unusual statistics was the In jury of a two year old quarter bone weigh Ing pounds One dog owner paid for a sheep his dog bad killed Fisher contends the plaques are dumb She says Ihe government Is saying keep the status quo but give out plaques instead of money She feels the ministry is still com someone who hey feel docs not deserve it They art talking out of two sides of their mouths she staled Fisher admits she thought about the Ontario Scholar situation even before it was brought up by the ministry She feels the scholarship motivates students to do their best However the ministry s latest ideas put in question the whole Idea of Ontario Scholars Halton has actually seen a decline in the scholars in the past few years according to Director of Education In the school year there were award Winners out on grade students for per cent In 198081 there were out of 1 for per cent scholars out of 1 in 198162 for per cent and last school year winners out of 1 843 students or per cent Acton and Georgetown high schools scholar statistics fluctuated from to 1983 pointed out There were scholars in Acton in 197960 out of students for a high 38 per cent However this took a plunge the next year with only seven out of students or IB per cent saw II scholars out of or per cent and in 198283 there were 14 scholars out of 47 students or per cent At Georgetown and District High School in 23 students out of 128 or IB per cent were Ontario scholars In 198081 per cent or of won the award and 198182 saw winners out of students for 33 per cent Last year students were scholars out of or per cent Teens hurt in bus accident Three teenagers were taken to two after the bus in which they were riding hit a telephone pole last Wednesday af Guelph OPP say the accident occurred at about on the Erin 1 Driver John Binning was in a Travel ways bus heading south when he moved over into the left hand lane to pass a parked vehicle The left wheel of the bus dropped off the road and the bus entered the ditch striking a telephone pole according to police Three youths aged 18 and were taken to General Hospital and Georgetown Memorial Hospital where they were kept for observation police say The driver was uninjured