Thomas Rennie (Harbour Commissioner)

For the ferry, see Thomas Rennie (ferry, 1951).

Thomas Rennie (1868-1952) was a Canadian businessman and politician.^[1][2]

Thomas Rennie
Born	(1868-12-14)December 14, 1868 Markham, Ontario, Canada
Died	August 4, 1952(1952-08-04) (aged 83)
Nationality	Canadian
Occupation(s)	businessman, politician

Rennie and his two brothers took over the operation of his father's successful seed business when William Rennie retired in 1889.^[2][3] Rennie became chair of the firm in 1925, following the retirement of his older brother, Robert.^[4] Rennie would later become a director of the Canadian Seed Trade Association.^[5]

He was appointed a member of the powerful Toronto Harbour Commission serving as its chair for many years.^[2][4] Popular historian Mike Filey wrote that he was appointed in 1930, was promoted to chair in 1936, and served a total of seventeen years. John McCutcheon, of Wilfrid Laurier University, wrote that he was appointed in 1921, was promoted to chair in 1938, and served a total of twenty-six years.

In 1951 the Commission recognized Rennie's contribution by naming its most recent ferry after him.^[1][6] Rennie's daughter, his only child, christened the vessel.

In 1946 Rennie and his older brother Robert filed objections when Jaroslav Racek filed a request to change his name to Gilbert Rennie.^[4] Racek was a naturalized Canadian of Czech descent, who had lived in Canada for twenty-one years. McCutcheon suggested their objections were motivated by bigotry.

Thomas and Robert Rennie filed objections that were couched in legal principles but were actually based, according to the lawyer for the Rennie brothers, upon the notion that people of foreign descent should not be allowed to assume the proud Scottish name of Rennie.

References

1. Mike Filey (1998). "Discover & Explore Toronto's Waterfront: A Walker's, Jogger's, Cyclist's, Boater's Guide to Toronto's Lakeside Sites and History". Dundurn Press. p. 123. ISBN 9781550023046. Retrieved 2015-04-01. In 1951, a sister ship to the Sam McBride (identical in all respects), was added to the fleet. This one was christened THOMAS RENNIE, after a prominent Toronto businessman and long-time Harbour Commissioner.
2. Mike Filey (1999). "Mount Pleasant Cemetery: An Illustrated Guide". Dundurn Press. p. 179. ISBN 9781459713109. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
3. "William Rennie". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
4. John McCutcheon (2007). "The William Rennie Seed Company: A Corporate History". Wilfrid Laurier University. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
5. A. E. Slinkard, Douglas R. Knott (1995). "Harvest of gold: the history of field crop breeding in Canada". University Extension Press, University of Saskatchewan. ISBN 9780888803337. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
6. Chris Bateman (2012-10-07). "Explaining Enwave, Ford's Jarvis figures, Island ferry names, and classic council clashes". BlogTO. Retrieved 2015-04-30. A former Toronto Harbour Commissioner, Rennie lived long enough to see the vessel christened in his honour. He died the next year aged 84.