Clan Fraser Table: L-R: Netherlands Consul Gerrit Kulsdom, Dawn & Peter Fraser, Muriel & Murray Fraser, Margaret & Dr. Bill Fraser, Neil Fraser

Lewis MacKenzie was born in Truro, Nova Scotia and is a graduate of Xavier Junior College of Sydney, Cape Breton, and the University of Manitoba. His military qualifications include the Canadian Army Command and Staff College, the NATO Defence College, the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College and the United States Army War College. During thirty-three years of military service, General MacKenzie spent nine years in Germany with NATO forces including a two-year tour with the British Army of the Rhine. He also served in nine peacekeeping tours in six different mission areas - the Gaza Strip, Cyprus, Vietnam, Cairo, Central America and Sarejevo. In 1990 he served as Commander of the United Nations Observer Mission in Central America, and subsequently was assigned as the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Protection Forces in Yugoslavia, before retiring from military service in 1993. Lew MacKenzie and his wife Dora have one daughter.

1994 - The Hon. Bertha Wilson, C.C., LL.B., LL.D.

Bertha Wilson was born in Kircaldy, Fife and is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. In 1949 she emigrated with her husband, the Rev. John Wilson, to a small parish in Renfrew County, Ontario. In 1954 the Wilsons moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia where her husband was stationed as a chaplain in the Royal Canadian Navy and where, at the age of 32, Mrs. Wilson decided she would like to study law. After graduation in 1957, she worked briefly in Halifax before moving to Toronto. She was the first woman hired by Osler Hoskin and Harcourt, where she spent 17 years and became its first female partner. She was the first female judge appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1975, and in 1982 became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, retiring in 1991. Madam Justice Bertha Wilson has received degrees from 22 Canadian universities, from the University of Aberdeen, and from Chatham College in Pittsburgh, PA. She was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1992, and lives with her husband in Ottawa. The photo [left] shows the 1994 Scot of the Year award being presented by the 1993 recipient, Major General Lewis MacKenzie.

1995 - Lloyd Robertson, O.C.

L-R: Diana & the Hon. Alastair Gillespie, Adrian Macdonald (with the Hon. Donald Macdonald behind her), Lloyd & Nancy Robertson

Lloyd Robertson is one of Canada’s most recognized and respected news anchors whose career in broadcasting goes back over four decades. After a brief spell at Guelph radio station CJOY, he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1954 as a staff announcer, spending time in Winnipeg and Ottawa prior to moving to Toronto to join CBC Weekend News. From 1970 to 1976 he anchored CBC’s The National and joined the privately owned Canadian TV Network (CTV) in October of that year to co-anchor CTV National News with Harvey Kirck. He was appointed CTV’s Chief Anchor and Senior News Editor in 1983 and presently anchors CTV News. He is held in high regard by his viewers, having been chosen Most Trusted TV Journalist, and has received numerous honours from the broadcast industry including the prestigious Gemini Award, Broadcaster of the Year, and the Radio & Television News Director’s Association’s President’s Award. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1998. Lloyd Robertson and his wife Nancy have four daughters.

1996 - The Hon. Donald S. Macdonald, P.C., C.C., LL.M., LL.D.

A graduate of the University of Toronto, Osgoode Law School, Harvard Law School and Cambridge University, the Hon. Donald S. Macdonald served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1962 to 1978. Between 1968 and 1977, he held the Cabinet positions of President of the Privy Council, Minister of National Defence, Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, and Minister of Finance. Mr. Macdonald is presently Counsel at the national law firm McCarthy Tetrault, returning to that position after completing his posting as Canadian High Commissioner to Great Britain and Northern Ireland. His ancestors emigrated from Lochaber, Scotland to Antigonish, Nova Scotia at the end of the eighteenth century. He retains an interest in his genealogy and assists the Clan Donald as a trustee of the Clan Donald Lands Trust at Armadale, Skye. Since there are five other Donald Macdonalds who are trustees, he thought of calling himself Donald Toronto, except they might have thought he was passing himself off as an Anglican Bishop. Donald Macdonald was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1994, and lives with his wife Adrian in Toronto.

1997 - Colonel The Hon. Henry N.R. Jackman, C.M., O.Ont., K.St.J., LL.D.

Hal Jackman, as he is known to his friends, from December 11, 1991 until January 24, 1997 served as Ontario’s 39^th Lieutenant Governor, since John Graves Simcoe arrived in Upper Canada in 1791. He was born in Toronto and is a graduate of the University of Toronto. Mr. Jackman serves as Chairman of many boards including National Trust Company, The Empire Life Insurance Company, E-L Financial Corporation Ltd., and Algoma Central Corporation. He is also Vice-Chairman of The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company and president of a number of other companies. Among his many charitable and philanthropic activities, he is Chairman of the Atlantic Council of Canada, the Advisory Board of The Toronto Old Aged Men’s and Women’s Homes, and the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Red Cross Pension Fund. He was appointed Honourary Colonel of the Governor General’s Horse Guards in 1992. He is a Knight of Justice in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. Hal Jackman and his wife have five children.

The 1997 award to the Hon. Hal Jackman was presented by the 1996 recipient, the Hon. Donald Macdonald who, by coincidence, happened to contest the Federal riding of Rosedale against Hal Jackman on three occasions many years ago. The winner on each of those occasions was Donald Macdonald, and since Mr. Jackman has Campbell ancestry, there was a certain rough justice in the victories - harking back to the actions by the infamous Campbells at Glencoe! Both speakers referred to this ancient antipathy, but with a great sense of humour.

1998 - John E. Cleghorn, B.Comm., C.A.

L-R: Neil & Marie Fraser, Ian & Lynne (Bridgman) Cleghorn, John & Pattie (Hart) Cleghorn, Alan McKenzie

A graduate of McGill in 1962, John Cleghorn articled as a Chartered Accountant with Clarkson Gordon before becoming a sugar futures trader. He joined the Royal Bank in 1974 from the old Mercantile Bank of Canada and rapidly rose to become President in 1986, Chief Operating Officer in 1990, Chief Executive Officer in 1994, and Chairman in 1995. Mr. Cleghorn has been deeply involved with the academic profession, and is Chancellor of Wilfried Laurier University, a governor of McGill University and Chairman of the McGill Fund Council. Among his many other national community activities, he is Vice-Chairman of The Conference Board of Canada, a director of the International Monetary Conference, a member of the Policy Committee of the Business Council on Monetary Issues, the national advisory board of the Canadian Special Olympics, and governor of the Shaw Festival Theatre. His great grandfather emigrated from Wick, Caithness in the 1860s and was active in the grain and shipping business until his early 70s. John Cleghorn and his wife Pattie have three children. And he has Fraser ancestors.

Among the many noteworthy people who attended the 1998 dinner, one deserves special attention. The photo [right] shows dinner chairman Neil Fraser presenting one of the door prizes (Dalwhinnie Single Malt) to Arthur Lee, the immigrant businessman who paid over $400,000 at auction for the service medals of Colonel John Macrea of Guelph, Ontario, whose poem "In Flanders Field" is a gift to Canada and the world, decrying the conflicts that many came to this country to escape. Mr. Lee then donated the medals to the Museum of Guelph. As you can imagine, there was not a dry eye in the room, and Mr. Lee received a standing ovation.

1999 - Michael MacMillan, BA (Hons.)

L-R: John Macdonald, dinner co-chair; MGen Lewis MacKenzie (1993); John Cleghorn (1998); Michael MacMillan (1999); Neil Fraser, dinner co-chair; Alan McKenzie, dinner committee member

Oscar winner and a Canadian Titan in the fascinating world of entertainment, Michael MacMillan is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Atlantis Communications, a multi-million dollar company which created headlines in July 1998 when MacMillan’s Atlantis Communications joined forces with Alliance Communications to become Canada’s largest television and movie production company. Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Michael graduated from Upper Canada College with honours, as he did from Queen’s University, with Honour BA in Film Studies. With two friends, he launched Atlantis Films Ltd in 1978 with a total capital of $300, their life savings. Michael MacMillan is on the Board of Governors of the Canadian Stage Company, Toronto East General Hospital Foundation, the Canadian Film and Production Association and is Vice-Chairman of the Canadian Film Centre and a Trustee of the Gaelic Society of Toronto. When he’s got time on his hands, he enjoys marathon running. Michael MacMillan and his wife Cathy Spoel have three children.

The 1999 award to Michael MacMillan was presented by the 1998 recipient, John Cleghorn, attired in Ancient Hunting Fraser Tartan, in honour of his Fraser grandmother. John recounted how Michael and one of his partners were off on a fishing trip to New Brunswick by air when they thought they would surprise two late-arriving Royal Bank officials. They hid behind two seats in the plane and jumped out when the new passengers arrived. To the astonishment of everyone, the boarding passengers were not the Royal Bank officials but rather U.S. Secret Service personnel guarding former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, also on the same flight. Fortunately, the Secret Service guards asked questions first, rather than opening fire and asking questions second.

2000 - Lynton (Red) Wilson, O.C., MA

Lynton (Red) Wilson, Chairman of the Board of Directors, BCE Inc., has worked for four Canadian institutions founded by Canadian Scots: McMillan Bloedel, Redpath Industires, the Bank of Nova Scotia and Bell Canada Enterprises. In fact, he has served as chief executive of two of them: Redpath Industries, founded by John Redpath, a Scottish stonemason; and Bell Canada Enterprises, originally incorporated as the Bell Telephone Company in 1880 by Alexander Graham Bell and his father, Alexander Melville Bell. However, he was not chosen as Scot of the Year for having enjoyed a lifetime of Canadian Scottish associations and influences, but for his dedication and foresight in the preservation and teaching of Canadian history. Red Wilson has turned a personal dream into a multi-million-dollar foundation, a national history foundation to encourage the teaching and learning of Canada’s past. He personally donated $500,000 to launch HISTOR!CA Foundation of Canada and then enlisted the support of fellow Canadian business leaders, including the Royal Bank’s John Cleghorn [1998 Scot of the Year], and others who read like a Who’s Who in Canadian business. [Following his retirement from the Royal Bank of Canada, John Cleghorn has since taken on the role of chief executive of HISTOR!CA.]

He noted that the Scots have always been a mobile people who traditionally looked beyond their own borders for opportunities, and cited as an example, Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), a remarkable man, born a Scot, buried in Canada, whose epitaph read: "died a citizen of the United States." Michael MacMillan, the 1999 recipient, presented the 2000 award to Red Wilson, who looked resplendent in his new Wilson tartan and formal Highland accessories. He was also the surprised recipient of a large cake, complete with sparklers, in celebration of his birthday [a secret passed on in confidence by his dedicated assistant, who shall remain anonymous]. Red Wilson and his wife Brenda have two daughters and one son.

2001 - Katherine Macmillan, BA (Hons.)

Kathie Macmillan is President and CEO of Goldfarb Consultants, one of the largest global marketing research companies with its head office in Toronto and consulting offices throughout Europe, the UK and the Americas. Working with clients all over the world, she has developed strategies associated with branding, customer communications, corporate advertising as well as customer and employee loyalty and retention. Specifically, Kathie spent 13 years with the diversified health care company Warner Lambert working out of Toronto, New Jersey, Latin America and the UK, before moving on to the Campbell Soup Company as General Manager and VP of Marketing. Immediately prior to joining Goldfarb Consultants in November 1998, Kathie spent more than four years with the Bank of Montreal as Vice President of Corporate Marketing.

In addition to her business pursuits, Kathie has always found time to be active within the community at large. Dedicated to the objectives of MADD (mothers against drunk driving), she is currently Vice Chair of its board as well as the Chair of its Finance and Resources Committee. She also chairs the Gender Portrayal Panel for Advertising Standards Canada. She is also a member of the Marketing Committee for the United Way of Greater Toronto. Kathie’s interests include telling a good joke, enjoying fine wines, exploring the parks of Toronto with her two dogs, and a keen passion for golf - anytime, anywhere! Kathie Macmillan graciously accepted the 2001 Scot of the Year award from the 1999 recipient, Michael MacMillan, Chairman and CEO of Alliance Atlantis Communications, who happens to be a distant cousin.

Having spent five years chairing the dinner and serving as MC, it was a pleasant change for Neil to sit back and relax. We enjoyed seeing Margaret Struth of Burnett’s and Struth Highland Wear in Barrie, Ontario, and meeting Alistair Buchan, Chairman of Lochcarron, one of the largest manufacturers of tartan in Scotland. As fellow members of the Scottish Tartans Authority, Neil and Alistair found a lot to talk about during dinner. Unfortunately, a previously scanned photo of Kathie with Alistair and Neil, taken at this event, was lost in a recent crash of our computer’s hard drive and our quirky scanner is currently not functioning properly, to allow the photo to be reproduced for this article.

2002 - Alistair MacLeod, BA, B.Ed, MA, Ph.D

The individual nominated to receive this year’s award is Alistair MacLeod, who was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan in 1936, and at the age of ten returned to the family farm in Cape Breton. After completing high school, MacLeod attended teacher’s college in Truro and then taught school. Deciding to further his education, he attended St. Francis Xavier University between 1957 and 1960 graduating with a BA and B.Ed. MacLeod then went on to receive his MA in 1961 from the University of New Brunswick and a Ph.D. in 1968 from the University of Notre Dame. A specialist in British literature of the 19^th century, MacLeod taught English for three years at the University of Indiana before accepting a post in 1969 at the University of Windsor where he is a Professor of English and Creative Writing. He and his family return to Cape Breton every summer, where he spends part of his time…"writing in a cliff-top cabin looking west towards Prince Edward Island." He is the author of "No Great Mischief".

2003 - (dual awards)
Alastair Gillespie, former Liberal Cabinet Minister and long-time Governor of the Scottish Studies Foundation. T. Iain Ronald, prominent executive in the financial and retail industries.

Both Alastair and Iain were active members of the Campaign for Scottish Studies at the University of Guelph and were instrumental in raising significant amounts of money that went towards the funding of the Chair of Scottish Studies there.

T. Iain Ronald, M.B.A., B. LAW., F.C.A. has had a fifty-year career in the finance and retail industries in Canada. He continues to serve on a number of prominent Canadian boards and works tirelessly for many non-profit organizations. He has served as Chairman of BFI Canada Income Fund since 2003 and has been a Trustee since inception. He serves on the board of directors of several major Canadian companies, including Loblaw Companies Limited, Leon's Furniture Limited, Strongco Inc. and TransAlta Power Ltd. He is also a trustee of Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. Mr.Ronald retired from the position of Vice Chairman of CIBC in 1995. Mr. Ronald has a Bachelors Degree in Law from the University of Glasgow, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.

The Honourable Alastair Gillespie, P.C., O.C. has had a successful career as a Minister of the Crown and in the business world. He has a long record of community service, and in 1998, was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Gillespie attended Brentwood College School, McGill University and then Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. After receiving a business degree from the University of Toronto, he went on to senior role in the educational publisher W.J. Gage and company. Gillespie was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for the Toronto riding of Etobicoke in 1968 election. He was re-elected in the 1972 and 1974 elections. He held various ministerial positions including: Industry, Trade and Commerce; Energy, Mines and Resoources; State for Science and Technology; and Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board.

2006 - John McDermott

The ninth of 12 children from a traditional Glasgow Irish family who emigrated from Scotland to Canada in the 1960s, John McDermott's musical roots are equal parts Scottish and Irish. He was discovered quite by chance when, as a circulation sales representative for the Toronto Sun, he gave an impromptu rendition of "Danny Boy" at a company party. That catapulted him into a musical career that in 10 years includes nine full-length albums, three Canadian platinum records, five Juno nominations and a solid international touring schedule.

In the USA, McDermott's success has provided him with the ability to express his commitment to veterans' causes, which have always occupied a central place in his life and have been an important theme in his music. In recognition of this commitment, McDermott was awarded one of the United States' highest accolades: the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's "Bob Hope Award." Especially important to McDermott are the legions of homeless veterans in big cities and small towns from coast to coast. His concern is borne out through innovative projects such as McDermott House, a transitional housing cooperative for veterans in Washington, D.C., and more recently, the Hope McDermott Day Program Center in Boston, Mass.

2005 - Douglas M. Gibson

Douglas Maitland Gibson was born in 1943 and raised in Scotland, where he gained an MA at the University of St. Andrews. After acquiring a further MA at Yale, he came to Canada in 1967 and entered the world of publishing in March 1968, as an editor with Doubleday Canada. Through a series of accidents he found himself running an editorial department at the age of 25, and publishing books set from Newfoundland to British Columbia and editing authors ranging from Harry J. Boyle to Barry Broadfoot.

He joined Macmillan of Canada as Editorial Director in 1974 and became Publisher in 1979. In those years he had the privilege of editing authors such as Morley Callaghan, Hugh MacLennan, Bruce Hutchison, and Robertson Davies. Early in 1986 he joined McClelland & Stewart as Editor and Publisher of a new line of books under his own imprint, a first in Canada. Since then Douglas Gibson Books has published works by authors such as Alice Munro, Peter Gzowski, Jack Hodgins, James Houston, W.O. Mitchell and Mavis Gallant. In 1988 he became Publisher of McClelland & Stewart and in 2000 he was named President and Publisher.

As a member of the publishing community he has taught courses in editing to many groups. He is a member of the Quadrangle Society of Massey College and the Scottish Studies Board at the University of Guelph. As a writer, his work has appeared in The Bumper Book, in a book on Alistair MacLeod and in Saturday Night, Toronto Life, Books in Canada, the National Post and the Globe and Mail. From 1981 to 1984 he was the weekly movie reviewer for the CBC radio programme "Sunday Morning." He spoke as a Canadian representative at the International Publishers' Association Convention in London in 1988. As a Council Member of Historica he has spoken at a number of Canadian Clubs.

2006 - Hugh Boyle

Hugh Boyle is the chair and principal shareholder of Zoom Airlines and the founder and chair of the resoundingly successful Go Travel Direct, Canada's first direct-sell tour operator. Both businesses have grown rapidly in the six years since inception. Go Travel Direct offers Canadians the opportunity to take a break from frigid temperatures during the winter months and fly to a multitude of southern destinations while Zoom Airlines offers exceptional low rates to Europe from a host of Canadian locations.

Over the years, Hugh has provided crucial support to the Foundation which has greatly facilitated travel between Scotland and Canada for students, artists and other involved in the pursuit of Scottish studies.

Originally from Bellshill in Lanarkshire, Scotland, Canada is now home for Hugh and his family. Although he has adjusted to the Canadian way of life, he still considers himself a Scot through and through.

2007 - Jean Watson

Thanks to the efforts of Jean Watson, Tartan Day April 6th, has become a yearly event not only in Canada but all over the world.

The concept of "Tartan Day" began at a meeting of the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia on March 9, 1986 when members Bill Crowell and Jean Watson put forward the following motion to the Federation:

"That we establish a day known as 'Tartan Day'. This to be a day chosen to promote Scottish Heritage by the most visible means: the wearing of the Scottish attire, especially in places where the kilt is not ordinarily worn, i.e.: work, play or worship."

Started originally as "Tartan Day in Nova Scotia," Jean Watson approached every provincial Legislative Assembly in Canada, as well as other Scottish-cultural societies across Canada, to help get such a date established.

After ten years of work, Tartan Day in Canada was approved in every Provincial Assembly from sea to sea by Premier's proclamation or Members' Bill, the last being in the National Assembly at Québec City, where it was finally proclaimed in December 2003 -- 16 years after the first such proclamation in Nova Scotia.

In Canada, Tartan Day, April 6th, Canadians are encouraged to wear tartan in commemoration of the contributions of Scots and their descendants to the fabric of their society.

Jean was born on May 29, 1936 in Pictou, Nova Scotia and is the daughter of Angus and Rita (Nee: Heighton) MacKaracher.

She was a cancer survivor at age fifteen which took a toll on her youth and education. Despite this, she moved to Halifax in 1958 and continued to work there as a bookkeeper for twenty-one years.

She liked to draw from a very early age and went on to become an amateur artist gaining her teaching status some twenty-five years ago and still teaches art classes on a regular basis. She founded the Dalriada Art Group which she still manages, and assisted other art groups to form.

As a child, her parents always encouraged her interest in her Scottish background and she delved into her history after joining the Federation of Scottish Clans In Nova Scotia and has served as its President on two different occasions.

She and her husband founded the Pipes and Drums of Clan Farquharson in 1981 and she served as their President for six years. She was a founding member of the Clan Farquharson Society of Canada later founding the Clan Lamont Society of Canada, the Clan Watson Society of Canada and in 2002 the Stewart/Stuart Association of Nova Scotia, helping all to get active and, at various times, serving as President for each Society.

She served from 1996 to 2000 as President of the Royal Canadian Legion, in Waverley, N. S. (Branch 90) during which time she received the Meritorious Service Award for her work in preventing the closure of this Branch. She is a 30-year member of the Legion and has been active in various Heritage Societies and community endeavors.

In 2004 she was recognized by the St. Andrews Presbyterian College, Scottish Heritage Center in Laurinburg, North Carolina for her work in promoting "Tartan Day April 6th" and received the Flora Macdonald Award.

She served as a one-person committee for ten years following "Tartan Days" initiation by the Federation of Scottish Clans In Nova Scotia in 1986 and, as a result, has justly become known as "The Mother of Tartan Day."

As if all of this were not enough, at age 70 she had her first song released on CD: "Isobel's Song" a ballad about the attack on Toward Castle, in Argyll, Scotland in the 1700's.

2008 - Donald Stewart

Donald A. Stewart is Chief Executive Officer of Sun Life Financial Inc.

A native of Scotland, Mr. Stewart joined the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada in London, England in 1969. He emigrated to Montreal in 1972, after qualifying as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries.

In 1974, Mr. Stewart left the Company to pursue a career in benefits consulting in Toronto. He returned in 1980 to lead the Canadian Group Retirement Services Division. From 1987 to 1992, Mr. Stewart held overall responsibility for Information Technology. He was appointed head of Sun Life Trust Company in September 1992. In 1996 he was appointed President & Chief Operating Officer, and in 1998 Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Stewart led the successful demutualization of Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada that was completed in March 2000. He has since grown the parent company, Sun Life Financial Inc., through acquisitions in Canada, the United States and Hong Kong.

Mr. Stewart is a director of the American Council of Life Insurers, and international aluminium products company Novelis Inc. He is also a trustee of CI Financial Income Fund.

Born in 1946, Mr. Stewart holds a degree in Natural Philosophy from the University of Glasgow, graduating in 1968 with first class honours.