Thomas Russ Deacon (3 January 1865 – 30 May 1955) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

politician, the 24th Mayor of Winnipeg in 1913 and 1914. Deacon was born in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

Canada West The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...

. After working in Northern Ontario lumber camps, he returned to school, eventually graduating in 1891 with a

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...

degree at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

. After working on the water systems in

North Bay, Ontario North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing. North Bay developed as a railroad centre, and its airport was an important military ...

and on gold mining in Rat Portage, Deacon moved to Winnipeg in 1902 and by 1906 joined the city's council. He campaigned for mayor on the basis of developing a new source of city water from Shoal Lake in northwestern Ontario. This

Greater Winnipeg Water District Aqueduct The Greater Winnipeg Water District Aqueduct supplies the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba with water from Shoal Lake in the Kenora District of Ontario. It was put in service in 1919 and cost nearly CDN $16 million. It has a capacity of 85 m ...

system was created during Deacon's terms as mayor. The Deacon reservoir, built in 1972, was named for Thomas Deacon.

References

1865 births 1955 deaths Canadian civil engineers Mayors of Winnipeg People from Perth, Ontario University of Toronto alumni {{Manitoba-mayor-stub