Mr. Speaker, on June 2 a heritage plaque was unveiled in Embro, Ontario, marking the 100th anniversary of the death of the Reverend George Leslie MacKay, a renowned Presbyterian missionary who hailed from Zorra township in my riding of Oxford.
In 1872 Reverend MacKay founded the first Canadian overseas mission in Tamsui, Taiwan. Until his death, he served the needs of the people of northern Taiwan in many ways. He trained the local clergy while ministering to members of the 60 churches that he established. He also founded a hospital and several schools, including Tamsui Oxford College. The first school was built with funds MacKay raised during his first furlough home to Oxford in 1881.
Today George Leslie MacKay remains a national hero in Taiwan. As we honour his memory, it is my hope that future generations of Oxford residents will learn more about the extraordinary accomplishments of this exceptional man.