Thomas McKay was a Canadian businessman who was one of the founders of the city of Ottawa, Ontario.
15 Facts About Thomas McKay
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Thomas McKay emigrated to the Canadas in 1817, and settled in Montreal.
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Thomas McKay became partners with John Redpath and their firm did the masonry work on the Lachine Canal near Montreal, they then went on to build the locks on the lower section of the Rideau Canal, between the Rideau River and the Ottawa River at Bytown.
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Thomas McKay built two stone spans for the Union Bridge, which was the first bridge across the Ottawa River between Hull, Quebec and Bytown.
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Thomas McKay was one of the few business leaders to remain in Bytown after the canal project was finished.
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Thomas McKay bought land at the intersection of the Rideau River and Ottawa River and laid out a town, which he named New Edinburgh.
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Thomas McKay built a sawmill and a gristmill on land there.
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John Redpath 8.
Thomas McKay encouraged Scottish immigrants to come to the area and it became a prosperous industrial centre.
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Thomas McKay 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.
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Thomas McKay became quite wealthy and in 1837 he bought 1100 acres east of the village.
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Thomas McKay built Earnscliffe to house his daughter and son-in-law.
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Thomas McKay brought the first railroad to the Ottawa area with the Prescott and Bytown Railway that had its terminus at a station near Sussex Drive just south of New Edinburgh.
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Thomas McKay entered politics serving on Bytown's city council, and then the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada from 1834 to 1841.
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Thomas McKay was interred in the Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.
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On Mr Thomas McKay being un-seated on petition, 14 November 1874.