Sir William Mackenzie (1849-1923)
Text from the plaque
An outstanding entrepreneur, Sir William Mackenzie with his partner Sir Donald Mann built the Canadian Northern Railway, opening large areas of the west to settlement. Born in present day Kirkfield, Mackenzie excelled in financing and constructing railways. He diversified into mining and shipping, developed Ontario's first major hydro-electric power system, and electrified streetcar lines in Toronto and Winnipeg, as well as in Brazil. His major work, the transcontinental Canadian Northern Railway, completed in 1915, later formed a large component of the Canadian National Railways.
Transcribed from the marker, not summarised.
Find the place
The City of Kawartha Lakes
In Kirkfield, on the north side of Portage Road (Road 48)
half a block west of Kirkfield Road (Road 6)
N 44 33.770 W 78 58.886