(7 July 1926-7 Nov. 1990), sawmill proprietor. (Kenneth MacLennan, Ken MacLennan, Kennie MacLennan) Born at Dalkeith, GC. Parents: Jonathan Kenneth Maclennan and his wife Harriet (Hattie) Catherine MacIntosh. Kenneth MacLennan attended the primary school at Dalkeith and Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute. As a young man, he went several times on the harvest excursions to the West. He continued his father’s sawmill business at Dalkeith. The mill, which at that time was employing 22 people, was destroyed by a fire on 3 Dec. 1971. (Glengarry News 9 Dec. 1971) It was rebuilt and was back in full production by August 1973, with about the same number of employees. (Glengarry News 16 Aug. 1973) Kenneth MacLennan sold the sawmill in 1974. Thereafter, he worked as a millwright with Eastern Steel at L’Orignal, and as a self-employed carpenter. He died of cancer. He is buried in the Breadalbane cemetery. He was married on 17 June 1952 at Kirk Hill United Church (the West Church) to Christena Jean Grant (Jean Grant). (five children, four surviving him) Kenneth MacLennan was a member of the Baptist Church. Active in a wide range of community affairs, he was chairman of the Dalkeith Recreation Association, and was a school board member, and was councillor and reeve of Lochiel Township, and chairman (GN 14 Jan. 1981) of the Raisin Region Conservation Authority. He was a Mason, and was past master of the Vankleek Hill Masonic Lodge. Like his father Jonathan, he was a staunch Liberal, and Kenneth was on the executive of the local Liberal Associations, both provincial and federal. Well known and well liked, he was physically different from most of the Glengarry Scots by having fair hair. His wife, Jean MacLennan, has for some years written the Dalkeith column in the Glengarry News.

     The sawmill, a much-valued source for local employment, which finally ceased operation in 2007, was known by various names including the Ken MacLennan Sawmill, or the MacLennan Sawmill, as well as the Dalkeith Sawmill. Nineteenth-century GC, so deeply involved in the forest industries, had many sawmills, but the MacLennan Sawmill was remarkable in that it survived for more than three-quarters of a century, giving it, presumably, a longer continuous business history than any other sawmill in the history of the county.

Glengarry News 21 Nov. 1990 * private information, personal knowledge * elected chairman of Lochiel Township Area Public School Board, GN 7 Jan. 1965 * Marin 212, 244, 259, 491