Me & MacKenzie down by the ghoul yard.
So, yes. I've resumed, somewhat stealthily, my attempt to visit the final resting places of Canada's PMs.
I've abandoned any attempt to do them in order, even though that's how the first two worked out.
Previously I visited the grave of Sir John A. MacDonald, and over March break I took a trip to the resting place of Alexander Mackenzie.
MacKenzie was the first Liberal PM of Canada, and took the role at the request of the Governor General when Sir. John A. McDonald's government fell. Wait, a PM who got chosen by the GG after a standing government fell? How... Canadian!
These flowers were left by the monument.
I drove up to Sarnia to take a look at the monument, and found it without much difficulty. It was a nice march break, and the monument was well marked in the cemetary.
Anyway, so McKenzie had an interesting life. He worked as a newspaperman, and was a very enthusiastic reformer. So much so that his newspaper went out of business after being sued for libel.
His origins were fairly humble for a politician of the time. He was a blue collar figure, having worked as a stonemason and helping construct Fort Henry. He thrice refused a knighthood, and is one of the only PMs from the early days to have refused the honour. I do hope that's not indicative of any republican leanings on his part. He did institute the secret ballot, and created the Supreme Court of Canada and founded RMC.
In the end, he died from a stroke at age 70 caused by a fall and a head injury. Quite a figure, and he had quite a role in establishing many of the institutions of the country.
Two markers for his resting place. Judging by the divergent styles, I assume they were placed by different governments.
