An energetic John P. MacBeth was the last Reeve of the Township of Etobicoke and only Canadian politician we know off to have set foot in all 50 U.S. states.

MacBeth passed away in 1991 at the age of 69 while in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as part of his cross-U.S. tour.

The Etobicoke-born lawyer graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School and joined his father’s law firm.

He served in the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII from 1943 to 1945 on the corvette ‘Orangeville’ and reached the rank of Petty Officer.

On returning home, he became a member of the Etobicoke Board of Education from 1952 to 1958 and served as Chairman in 1955. He entered local politics and was elected the last Reeve of the Township of Etobicoke from 1963 to 1966 when we became part of Metro and then City of Toronto.

MacBeth loved politics and was elected MPP to represent York West and Humber from 1971 to 1981. He served as Minister of Labour and as Solicitor General from 1975 to 1978 in the government of Bill Davis.

He served briefly as the Minister of Correctional Services in 1977.

One of MacBeth’s greatest accomplishments as MPP was the introduction of mandatory store closings on Sundays, which he piloted through the House during 1976 and 1977.

“I still get letters from people who are thankful that they do not have to work on those days,” he said back then. “The legislation proved to be unwieldy and was eventually repealed in 1992.”

He retired from politics in 1981 to spend more time with wife, Ruth, and their three children. His biography says he enjoyed clothes, cheap cigars and making fires.

In retirement, MacBeth served as Vice-Chairman of the Ontario Police Commission from 1981 to 1987. Under his guidance, the commission recommended tougher controls of police chases in 1985.

The eccentric politician was fascinated by the movie ‘Mutiny on the Bounty,” which starred Marlon Brando, and led him to visit Pitcairn Islands later in life, where some of the mutineers settled.

He even wore the kilt of this ancestors for family gatherings every Christmas, according to records.

MacBeth was very active locally and belonged to the Etobicoke Red Cross, the Kiwanis Club, and served on the Boards of the Etobicoke General Hospital, the Canadian National Exhibition,  the Empire Club Masons Lodge 655 and president of the Ontario Cancer Society.