Kenzie MacNeil (2 September 1952 – 24 July 2021) was a Canadian songwriter, performer, producer and director in television, film, radio and stage, and a former

Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC; , ), sometimes referred to as the Tories, is a Government of Canada, federal List of political parties in Canada, political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main Right-wing ...

candidate. MacNeil completed a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree from

St. Francis Xavier University St. Francis Xavier University is a public undergraduate liberal arts university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a member of the Maple League, a group of primarily undergraduate universities in Eastern Canada. History St. Fran ...

. He also studied at the

University of Botswana The University of Botswana (UB) was established in 1982, as the first institution of higher education in Botswana. The university currently has three campuses: one in the capital city Gaborone, one in Francistown, and another in Maun. The Unive ...

Lesotho Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclave and exclave, enclaves in the world, t ...

and

Swaziland Eswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini, also known by its former official names Swaziland and the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa on all sides except the northeast, where ...

while accompanying his parents on field work with CIDA in Africa for three years.

Biography

MacNeil was a major force behind ''The Rise and Follies of Cape Breton Island'', a satirical sketch review that ran from 1978 to 1982. The revue included songs inspired by the coal and steel industry of Cape Breton and featured local musicians. He also served as Artistic Director/Producer of the Cape Breton Music and Theatre Company, and worked as Director of the UCCB Press. Over the years he contributed to Peter Gzowski's ''This Country in the Morning'' and ''Morningside'' on CBC Radio, and on some of the most popular television shows of the time: ''Singalong Jubilee'', ''Ceilidh'', ''Tommy Hunter'', ''Ryan’s Fancy'', ''Ian Tyson'', and many others. Kenzie MacNeil also had an active theatrical career performing in productions like Tom Gallant's ''Step/Dance'' and with Gordon Pinsent in ''John and the Missus'', and was nominated for an ACTRA award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in ''Last Night in Town''. He was involved in the production of the National Film Board's ''Empty Harbours'', ''Empty Dreams'', ''12,000 Men'', and ''Scoggie''. As well, MacNeil worked as Chair of the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation and helped with the creation of soundstages across the mainland and on the Island, and in particular, assisted with bringing the productions ''Pit Pony'' and ''New Waterford Girl'' to Cape Breton. MacNeil is best known for his song “The Island,” an unofficial anthem of

Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...

. The song is a tribute to coal industry workers in Nova Scotia. According to Men of the Deeps musical director, John O'Donnell, "the words offer a vivid demonstration that labour in Cape Breton has indeed had a deep cultural impact on the community." He also worked as a development officer with the Nova Scotia Department of Economic Development, and has been the editor and publisher of the ''Cape Bretoner'' magazine.

Politics

MacNeil ran as a

Cape Breton—Canso A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used thr ...

in the

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

and

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

federal elections, coming third and second respectively behind Liberal incumbent Rodger Cuzner. In the 2019 federal election, MacNeil ran as an independent candidate in

Sydney—Victoria Sydney—Victoria was a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2025. It was created in 1996 from parts of Cape Breton—The Sydneys, Ca ...

, but finished in sixth place.

Personal

MacNeil died on 24 July 2021. He was posthumously awarded the

Order of Nova Scotia The Order of Nova Scotia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The order was instituted through the ''Order of Nova Scotia Act'' on 1 June 2001, with the first appointments beginning in 2002. The order is int ...

in 2022.

Electoral record

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Macneil, Kenzie 1952 births 2021 deaths Canadian male songwriters Canadian male stage actors Canadian people of Scottish descent Conservative Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons Nova Scotia candidates for Member of Parliament Independent candidates in the 2019 Canadian federal election Politicians from Sydney, Nova Scotia University of Botswana alumni St. Francis Xavier University alumni Candidates in the 2019 Canadian federal election Candidates in the 2006 Canadian federal election Candidates in the 2004 Canadian federal election Members of the Order of Nova Scotia