A. Gordon MacDonald

A. Gordon MacDonald of Kirkland Lake will be inducted into the Glengarry Sports Hall of Fame later this summer. MacDonald was born in Alexandria in 1885, son of A.D.R. Macdonald and Rachel MacMaster. A local paper once wrote: “He was one of the finest athletes ever produced in this area according to contemporaries who vividly recall his prowess on the lacrosse or football field and on the hockey rink.”

MacDonald was an outstanding lacrosse player in the early 1990’s and was a member of the Alexandria team which was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989. He played on the forward line and he’s known for his fast snap shot which produced many goals.

Equally adept at hockey and soccer, he was a clean, fair, yet aggressive player. He attended the local separate school and Alexandria High School and was associated with his brother Donald in the grocery business until the outbreak of World War I. MacDonald enlisted in the Army Service Corps and spent four years overseas.

On his return, he conducted a mercantile business in Haileybury. In 1921 he married Ida Marie Villeneuve, daughter of Frank B. and Fabiola Villeneuve. The family moved to Kirkland Lake in 1927 and MacDonald went into business until his appointment as postmaster in January 1939.

MacDonald was a leading citizen of Kirkland Lake, an ardent supporter of all sports and familiar figure at the Kirkland Lake Community Centre. He was a member of town council, the Board of Trade, the Knights of Columbus and the Kiwanis Club.

This is Macdonald’s obituary from the Northern Daily News on February 14, 1948. “A born sportsman, he was the power behind almost every sports venture. Described by a friend as one of the greatest sportsmen that walked within the confines of this community, Mr. MacDonald could always be counted on to back a team. “He was largely responsible for promoting hockey here during the dark years after the war and in keeping it alive. “He was on the executive of a senior team within the Porcupine loop and when the team played out of town, Mr. MacDonald would be along, playing a mouth organ that became as familiar to the players as he was himself. “He was also a talented singer and whistler and also an amateur dramatist. “He struggled vainly for years to introduce lacrosse but his efforts proved unprolific, so he concentrated on improving local sport. He was also an ardent curler. “Kirkland Lake has lost a benevolent sports fan whose office was forever open to whoever wanted someone to lend an altruistic ear on some promotional campaign or if they needed financial support.”

A Gordon Macdonald died in February, 1948. He is survived by two sons – Frank of Kirkland Lake and Gerard of Charlemagne, Que – and one daughter – Dorothy of Kirkland Lake. All will be in attendance at the induction dinner.

He had two brothers, Donald “Boots” and Douglas, and three sisters, Annie, Ella, and Mrs. C. McVoy. Douglas lived in Kirkland Lake, but Annie, Ella and Donald resided in Alexandria.