Part 48

The history of Cote des Neiges would be incomplete and unsatisfactory were there failure to make reference to Patrick McKenna, who reached the venerable age of ninety-three years--a respected citizen, whose life, though quietly and uneventfully passed, was ever a useful and upright one. A native of Ireland, ambition stirred him to activity with the dawning of young manhood, and feeling that better opportunities might be secured in the new world, he left County Cavan and made his way to Canada where he arrived in 1847. The voyage was made in one of the old-time sailing vessels which dropped anchor in the river and there the immigrants, according to the law of the land, passed into quarantine. Mr. McKenna, anxious to get to work, chafed under this restraint but when he and his fellow travelers were liberated he hastened to make his way into the city where he immediately sought employment. He scorned no labor that would give him an honest living and so showed that he was possessed of the spirit of undaunted industry and determination. In May, 1850, he came to Cote des Neiges, which at that time was a village somewhat remote from Montreal but now included within the corporation limits of the city. He accepted the position of gardener with the late Mr. Donald Ross, but after a year had passed, became a tenant of that part of the property that borders the present Westmount Avenue, although it was years afterward before that thoroughfare was laid out. In 1866 he purchased from the Greenshields estate a tract of fifty acres to which he removed in about 1870 and upon it began the erection of a greenhouse and with the growth of the business in subsequent years additional hothouse space was added. The original firm name, P. McKenna & Son, remains unchanged to the present day.

On the 1st of October, 1849, Mr. McKenna had married Miss Mary Kearney, who in the previous year had left her home at Fanningstown, County Limerick, Ireland, and sailed for the new world. In the succeeding May Mr. McKenna brought his young wife to the home which they occupied for twenty years and on the expiration of that period they took up their abode in the residence where they lived until death called them. Mr. McKenna at first gave his attention to market gardening, conducting a successful business for eighteen years, but gradually withdrew from that branch of business to give his entire attention to the florist business, making the raising of fruit and vegetables merely a side issue.

The McKenna greenhouses became well known and the business prospered from the beginning, bringing Mr. McKenna a substantial financial return which enabled him eventually to retire from active business life.

Mr. and Mrs. McKenna became the parents of thirteen children but six of the number died in infancy, and Elizabeth died a member of the Nuns of Jesus and Mary, under the name of Sister St. Pancratius. Patrick died in 1880 and Mary in 1872. Four children survive the parents: James, a sketch of whom follows; Miss Sarah McKenna; Frances N., the wife of F. Allan Beauchamp; and Sister McKenna, who for seven years was bursar of a nunnery at Lawrence, Massachusetts, and for the past fifteen years has been bursar of the noted Grey Nunnery of Montreal.

Mr. and Mrs. McKenna lived to celebrate their diamond wedding on the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage. The occasion was made a memorable one to all who participated therein. Both Mr. and Mrs. McKenna were enjoying good health, although both were octogenarians, and the celebration was participated in by Mrs. McKenna’s sister, Miss Sarah Kearney, who witnessed the original marriage sixty years before. On the occasion of the diamond wedding the ceremony was marked by the celebration of pontifical mass by His Lordship Bishop Racicot, assisted by others. From 1851 Mr. McKenna was a continuous holder of a pew in St. Patrick’s church.

His long residence at Cote des Neiges enabled him to tell much concerning the history of that section and to relate many interesting incidents connected with its development and growth. He had occupied the position of councillor in the village before its incorporation into a town and about 1889 was succeeded by his son. He was a justice of the peace for the district of Montreal for twenty-five years until his death. He possessed a retiring disposition but nevertheless manifested keen interest in all that pertained to the city’s welfare and never failed to perform a public duty that devolved upon him. He was ever loyal to the land of his adoption and maintained a deep love for the land of his birth. As a boy he received a temperance medal from Father Matthew, the Irish apostle of temperance, which is now treasured by his son.

For over two years after the celebration of the diamond wedding the parents continued to travel life’s journey and then death called the husband and father, who passed away March 14, 1912, at the age of ninety-three years. The wife and mother survived for only a few months, her death occurring on the 12th of July, following, at which time she had reached the age of eighty-two years. They were perhaps the most venerable couple in Cote des Neiges and among the oldest witnesses of the growth and development of the tiny village into a city which eventually was absorbed in the metropolis.

JAMES MCKENNA.

James McKenna, who is his father’s successor in public office and business, was born at the family home in Cote des Neiges, November 11, 1851, his parents being Patrick and Mary (Kearney) McKenna, whose sketch precedes this. When the father retired from the position of councillor of Cote des Neiges in 1889, James McKenna succeeded to the position which he continuously and acceptably filled for nineteen years, while from 1908 until 1910 he was alderman of Montreal. He was appointed justice of the peace for the district of Montreal to fill the vacancy caused by the death of his father. He married Margaret Quinn and to them were born eight children: Rose; Evaline, the wife of Antoine Marchand by whom she has a son, Charles; Maud, who was known as Sister St. Margaret of Notre Dame and has passed away; Charles P., who died at the age of eighteen years; Frank J., who married Evaline McCarthy; Leo James, who married Gertrude Eagan and has a son, Leo Martin; Harry W.; and E. Phillip.

ROBERT THOMAS HOPPER.

Ability to recognize opportunities that others passed heedlessly by, combined with an ambition that brought about their immediate, practical and resultant utilization, brought Robert Thomas Hopper to a position in the foremost ranks of Montreal’s manufacturers and business men. He had the distinction of being the first man to ship asbestos abroad and later became a prominent figure in the mining industry in the province, while at the time of his death he was president of the Dominion Marble Company.

Mr. Hopper was born in Quebec, February 25, 1858, and was educated there in the public school and in Thom’s Academy. His father, Thomas Hopper, was senior partner of the firm of Hopper Brothers, a prominent firm of cattle dealers in the province. Thomas Hopper married Miss Agnes Davidson and their children were six in number. Robert Thomas Hopper came to Montreal in 1876, when he was eighteen years of age and secured a position as bookkeeper with the firm of James Linton, continuing in that connection for a year. He then organized the firm of Irwin Hopper & Company, which existed until 1889, when the business was taken over by R. T. Hopper & Company. This firm engaged in the mineral business, specializing in crude and fibrized asbestos, being among the pioneers in that industry in Canada. Mr. Hopper was regarded as father of the asbestos business in this country. He was the first Canadian to ship asbestos abroad and has the distinction of being the first man in the business to take up the installation of crushing machinery which has since revolutionized the asbestos business.

About 1891, Mr. Hopper established the first Portland Cement plant in Canada, known as the English Portland Cement Company of Canada. Difficulties confronted him, for it fell to his lot to educate the people to the use of cement. He entered upon a campaign which ultimately resulted in success, for his persistency and energy overcame the obstacles placed in his way. Moreover, time tests the merit of all things and the worth of Portland cement is demonstrated in its successful use. Later Mr. Hopper consolidated his interests with the Rathburns of Deseronto, Ontario, organizing the Beaver Portland Cement Company, and with the development of the business and the formation of new associations the Canadian Portland Cement Company came into existence. Their plants were located at Marlbank and Deseronto, Ontario, and with the passing of the years the business developed until it assumed large proportions. Eventually, Mr. Hopper sold his interests after having materially assisted in building up a large and successful business. In 1906 he organized the Dominion Marble Company, of which he continued as president until his death on the 13th of November, 1912. This business was established on a small scale but was developed along modern, progressive lines until the company is now one of the largest in Canada, engaged in the marble business, owning extensive quarries located at South Stukely, Quebec, and Mr. Hopper was also a director in the Sherbrooke Railway & Power Company and remained a director of the Canadian Cement Company after he withdrew from active connection with the management of the business. He was a prominent member of the council of the Canadian Mining Institute and thus kept in close touch with the mining projects of the country.

In 1882, in Montreal, Mr. Hopper was united in marriage to Miss Mary Agnes Mathews, a daughter of Richard Mathews, of this city, and two daughters and a son were born to them.

Mr. Hopper was a member of the Board of Trade and was a public-spirited citizen, interested in all that pertained to civic betterment and improvement. He was a member of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association, the Montreal Club, the Chapleau Club, the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club and the Beaconsfield Golf Club. He attended Douglas Methodist church and was deeply interested in many local charities. He sought ever the welfare and development of the community in which he lived along lines of material, intellectual, moral and public progress and his labors were attended with far-reaching results and benefits.

JOSEPH FRANCOIS VICTOR MARTINEAU, K. C.

Standing among the foremost men of the legal profession in Montreal, Joseph François Victor Martineau enjoys an important and representative practice. Moreover, he holds the position of general secretary of the bar of the province of Quebec, to which he was admitted over twenty years ago. Mr. Martineau was born at Montreal on the 28th of August, 1867, and is a son of the late François Martineau and Emérentienne (Bouthillier) Martineau. The father was a well known hardware merchant in this city and represented for six years, from 1885 to 1891, St. Mary’s ward, now Papineau, in the city council. In 1892 he was elected as a conservative member of the legislative assembly of Quebec for division No. 1 of Montreal (St. Mary’s division) and continued as a member of parliament until the next general election, in 1897.

Victor Martineau received his classical education at Ottawa College in Ottawa, St. Mary’s (Jesuit) College of Montreal, and for three years attended the law department of Laval University, from which he obtained the degree of LL. B. He was admitted to the bar of the province of Quebec in July, 1892, and ever since he has practiced in Montreal, having attained a high position among his colleagues. He is sound in his logic, terse in argument and forceful in presenting his pleas and, as he is a deep student, is familiar with precedent and all the technicalities of the law. Upon this structure is built his reputation for success. On the 5th of October, 1910, Mr. Martineau was appointed king’s counsel by the lieutenant governor and at the nomination of Hon. M. Arthur Globensky as judge of the superior court of the province of Quebec he was appointed general secretary of the bar of the province in August, 1910.

On the 6th of June, 1893, Mr. Martineau was married to Miss Emmeline Jodoin, a daughter of Isaië A. Jodoin, a well known advocate of the bar of Montreal. To this union were born two daughters. Mr. Martineau is a conservative in political matters and takes the interest of an active and earnest citizen and voter in public matters although he has never aspired to office. He can be ever found among those who make for public progress and readily places his means and ability at the disposal of undertakings that have this end in view.

JOHN JENNINGS CREELMAN.

The life work of John Jennings Creelman has brought him into close connection with the general interests of society as affected by legislative procedure, by activity at the bar and by educational interests. In the year 1913 he was appointed lecturer upon railway economics in McGill University and sustains that relation to the present time. Born in Toronto on the 14th of February, 1881, he is a son of Adam R. and Margaret Cumming (Jennings) Creelman. The former was a son of James Creelman, whose father came from Ireland in childhood and settled in New Brunswick in 1790. Adam R. Creelman, preparing for the bar, was created king’s counsel, gained distinction as a member of the legal profession and in 1900 was made general counsel of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. He married Margaret Cumming, daughter of Rev. John Jennings, D. D., the first Presbyterian clergyman from Scotland to settle in Toronto, which city was then known as Little York.

Born and reared in Toronto, John J. Creelman attended the public schools and Upper Canada College where, upon his graduation in 1900, he won the governor general’s medal. His classical course was pursued in the University of Toronto, from which he graduated with the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1904. His legal training was received in McGill University, where he was created B. C. L. in 1907. The same year he pursued a special course in the University of Grenoble, after which he entered upon the active work of his profession as advocate and solicitor. Not only did he secure an extensive and important clientele but he also became an active factor in political circles through his appointment in 1908 as parliamentary secretary to the chairman of the committee upon banking and commerce in the Canadian senate. He is a member of the law firm of Casgrain, Mitchell, McDougall & Creelman. His invested interests also indicate extensive and important connection with commercial and industrial activities. He is now a director of the Canadian British Insulated Company, Limited; the Chamberlain & Hookham Meter Company, Limited; the Lancashire Dynamo & Motor Company of Canada, Limited; the Canadian Union Electric Company, Limited; and Fraser & Chalmers of Canada, Limited. He is likewise vice president of E. M. Sellon & Company, Limited. His varied activities have made him a close and interested student of the signs of the times, with a ready and accurate understanding of cause and effect in many of the great vital and significant problems before the country. His researches and logical deductions in the field of transportation have made him an authority upon the subject of railway economics and by reason thereof he was appointed lecturer on that subject for McGill in 1913. In this connection he has become a member of the Canadian Institute and of the National Tax Association.

The spirit of progress which has actuated his entire life has been equally strongly manifest in his military connections. In 1895 he was a member of the Upper Canada College Rifle Company; in 1899 a trooper in the Governor General’s Bodyguard of Toronto, of which he became a lieutenant in the following year. In 1905 he was transferred to the Third “Montreal” Field Battery and in 1909 was commissioned major in command thereof. In 1912 he became lieutenant colonel in command of the Sixth Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, and in 1911 he represented Canada on the coronation contingent at the coronation of King George V. From 1911 until 1914 he has been a member of the executive of the Canadian Artillery Association. In 1913 he passed the militia staff course. He is upon the council of the Montreal Reform Club and is a liberal in his political views.

At Galveston, Texas, on the 24th of June, 1908, Mr. Creelman was united in marriage to Miss Katharine M. Weekes, a daughter of Nicholas Weekes, a confederate veteran of the Civil war, and at one time a railroad president and banker of Galveston. Mrs. Creelman is a graduate of the Bishop Strachan School of Toronto and by her marriage has become the mother of a son, John Ashmore Creelman, representative of the family in the fifth generation in Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Creelman hold membership in St. Paul’s Presbyterian church of Montreal, and he is a prominent club man, belonging to the University, Engineers, Royal Montreal Golf, Thistle Curling and Canadian Clubs of Montreal; the University and Military Clubs of Toronto; and the Junior Army and Navy Club of London, England. In addition to a residence in Montreal he has a country home at Mont Tremblant, where the summer seasons are spent.

THOMAS PHILLIPS.

Thomas Phillips, remembered as one of the builders of the Rideau canal and as the holder of extensive property interests in Montreal, was born in Woodbury, Devonshire, England. He became a resident of Montreal about 1808 and for a time was engaged in the brewing business. The years chronicled the growth of his business both in extent and importance and he had attained a position of prominence that recommended him for onerous responsibilities when the Rideau canal project was under way. He became one of the builders of the canal and in that and in other connections was a very active man. Early and judicious investments in real estate made him the owner of much valuable property, including a tract of land extending from the foot of the mountain to Lagauchetiere West, including what is now Beaver Hall Hill and Phillips square, the latter named in honor of the family. Their home, a palatial residence, was situated on Beaver Hall Hill.

Mr. Phillips married Miss Martha Anderson, a native of New England, and they became the parents of nine children: George, Eleanor, Thomas, Alfred, Martha, Mrs. Julia Ashworth, William, Esther and Mrs. Elizabeth Capel. Of these, only Miss Esther Phillips is now living. The father died in 1842, while the mother, long surviving him, passed away in 1881. They were members of the English Cathedral church and Mr. Phillips was a most public-spirited man who recognized the needs and opportunities of his city and sought to compass the former and utilize the latter. He was numbered among those of the early half of the nineteenth century who laid the foundation upon which has been built the present prosperity and greatness of the city.

GEORGE ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, K. C.