Sir William Mackenzie (1849-1923)
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.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.