William Duncan MacKenzie trained as pilot for the Royal Air Force at Long Branch military training camp after he was drafted in March 1918. He never made it overseas and returned to his hometown Forest, Ontario, to open his own pharmacy after having just graduated from pharmacy at the University of Toronto in 1917. He operated the pharmacy from 1921 until 1970, the year he died.

“He was a busy person because in those days a drugstore was open until nine in the morning until nine at night and nine in the morning until eleven at night on Saturdays,” said his daughter Mary Wade, adding that he also manufactured his own ointments.

He also provided another service—one you would never see a pharmacy do today.

“He had a large scale at the back of the store where the women, if they didn’t want to go to the doctor, he would weigh their babies,” said Wade.

“He had a good sense of humour. He liked most people. He got along with practically everybody.”

MacKenzie married Ellen Baumont in the early 1920s and they had two kids—Mary and William.

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