Famous Mackays
This famous Scot was a builder of Ottawa. Emigrating to Canada in 1817 with his wife Anne Christine Crighton, he was instrumental in the development of our Capital City.
The first Canadian Woman to be appointed to the Senate, Cairine worked tirelessly for the rights of women, children, and the disadvantaged.
A Member of Parliament, and Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Peter Mackay was instrumental in uniting the Progressive Conservative Party and the Alliance Party of Canada, to found a new party, strong enough to present a real challenge to other parties.
Nearly 200 years ago, the young herdsman son of a Caithness crofter dreamed of better things as he tended his cattle. His name was Alexander Bain. If the inscription on his memorial at the end of his life is anything to go by, he richly fulfilled his ambitions: "He thought above himself and helped to secure a great and better world."
This article appears in Celtic Heritage Fall 2005 Edition, and is reprinted with the kind permission of the Author, Ian Samson, and the Editor of Celtic Heritage.
James Mackay: a man to cherish