George Murray Macfie 1916-1988

Ella Isabel Laing      1918-2012

In 1923 after the death of Murray's grandfather George , the family moved to 1171 Hope Ave., just above the then Dorchester St. and as one could say to the other (better) side of the tracks. By this time Murray had a sister Margaret born 1917 and a baby brother named Arthur(1922)

The golden years before the crash of 1929, provided the background for Murray's youth. Montreal was a booming city, the port of Canada, all ocean going vessels stopped at Montreal. Most of the largest Canadian enterprises had established plants along the Lachine Canal. Montreal was considered a city of the world. A place of wonderment for a 13 years old lad.

Murray attended the Victoria High School, located on de Maisoneuve boul. , some 20 minute walk from home. There is some evidence that Murray's school marks were not the highest of quality, because for a time he was sent by his father Robin to attend a boys boarding school in Valleyfield ( a French school). Things must have improved as we find Murray attending McGill University, a place of higher learning for those who could afford the cost of education. It is at this time that Murray takes up trumpet lessons, and after his classes he would return home immediately to show his young brother Arthur what that lesson had been. Arthur learned well and went on to play his trumpet well on into his 75th year whereas Murray slowly gave up this pass time to concentrate on becoming an entrepreneur.

We know that while Murray had a bout with TB and had spent some time at a health resort recovering, he was otherwise very healthy, not having a real sick day in his life until his death from heart failure in 1988. At that time he was preparing for a trip with his daughter Elizabeth, to Portugal.

Upon his graduation from McGill (1939) with his B.A. , Major in economics, Murray decided to take a trip to visit Scotland. He booked himself on a cattle boat, as one of the boys in charge of cleaning and checking the well being of the cows as they were transported overseas. This allowed him a free passage, and provided some pocket money at arrival.

With this letter we find that Murray had planned to spend two weeks in Scotland and England , ended up spending a month. While we have not located any more letters home, we know that Murray visited family at Langhouse as we still have the photos he took of the outside of the mansion. We know that he bought a bicycle, which he used as means of transportation during his visit as he brought the bike back and stored it at the farm house in Clarenceville.

Murray arrived back in Canada, in the late summer of 1939, he had had the occasion to listen and read the news from a European point of view, most of that news was about the aggressions of Germany and its leader Adolf Hitler .

Murray got him self a job at the Bank of Canada, in Ottawa, in the foreign exchange department after his return from Scotland. He often explained to his son that he knew why all the Roman Catholics were poor, they sent their fortunes overseas to the Vatican, and he was the one who handled the transactions. Murray still had his tour bike, and used this as his means of transport in Ottawa. He was however taken up with young ladies and one in particular had caught his fancy. Isabel Laing , was working in the offices of the optometrist Dr. ( )  the first time Murray came upon her. It would appear that once he had had his glasses repaired he had found a way to to break them again them so he would be obliged to return to the optometrist.

This boy girl situation continued, on a weekly basis, as Murray returned every weekend to Montreal, and in the summer to Clarenceville to work on the farm. Isabel in the mean time continued to frequent the gentlemen and girlfriends of her youth, doing those things that the young people of Ottawa did in the late 30's, skiing, tennis, boating , horse back riding, pastimes of a frivolous and fulfilling youth.

We find Murray prepared to help with the war effort, he voluntarily joined up, stating that he would have more choice to do what he wanted if he joined before he was forced to join. Murray wanted to join the Air Force and that is what he did. As a graduate of University , Murray would have had the privilege of being accepted as an officer, but that meant he would have to find living arrangements off base, and at a cost of more than he would be compensated for. Murray in accepting to join as a lowly private assured himself that all expenditures for housing and food were at the Air Forces expense, not his.

As the war progressed, Murray climbed the ranks, he was unable to join the fly boys because of his eyesight, so the next best thing for him was to become an instructor. Murray had learned to shoot at ducks during his youth in Clarenceville and his understanding of mathematics provided him the edge he required. Murray became a gunnery instructor for the Royal Canadian Air Force, if he could not fly with the boys at least he could teach them to shoot to kill. In 1942 Murray learned that his living allowances would be greater if he was married, and as he had kept in touch with young Isabel Laing of Ottawa, he decided to ask her to become his wife. On Sept. 5 1942 Murray Macfie and Isabel Laing of Ottawa were married at the Westboro United Church.

The newly weds were almost immediately shipped out west, to Saskatoon Sask., where the RCAF was setting up training stations. The land was flat and free of obstacles, was still underdeveloped and any shooting or bombing practices could be held with out interfering with the daily life of the civilians .It was also closer to the border with the USA, where they were pulling American aircraft across the border by rope, as the USA had not officially become involved in the war, but was lending a hand to their British cousin.

From stories the author has been told we know that Murray had difficulty with flying, and often filled his barf bag full, when he went in the air in a bombing or shooting practice. We know that not much fazed Murray, he was not a jumpy person, one day while he was teaching a class, an airman was cleaning his rife in the next room and it went off, the bullet passing through the wall, through Murray's arm and into the ceiling. ( we could say Murray was wounded during the war) . Murray continued on with his lecturing, for he had not even noticed the wound.

A letter of recommendation from Sqn Leader R A Rennie dated Dec 15 1944 reads as follows

Murray refused on several occasions, to be promoted, mainly due to financial concerns, any promotion to officer status would oblige him to fork out his own money for the things that he was receiving from the Armed forces paymaster.

Murray was mustered out of the Canadian forces with honour, in 1945, parting company for good, never ever to return.

And with that Murray became a collection agent with I A C , sneaking out to the Indian reserve at night to wait the return of a client who was past due with his payment, chasing down others who had skipped out on IAC. Murray was relentless, in his pursuit for recognition, he wanted that supervisory position and he wanted it in a hurry. He left no stone unturned on any of the accounts which he was collecting, he would find the delinquent creditor and obtain his pound of flesh, never minding where the blood ran, the " Merchant of Venice" was not his guide book. In 1946 Murray declared a total revenue of $1,900.00, this was the first moneys he received at a full time job, having left the Armed forces at the end of 1945 and the filing of the last income tax report as he stated in 1940.

Murray and Isabel were now living in a basement apartment on Maplewood Ave. in the Cote De Nieges sector of Montreal. Living quarters, being what they were after the war, these were far from ideal, however they were certainly much better than the places they had lived in during the period Murray was gunnery instructor with the RCAF. They had met up with Hilliard Anderson and his wife Audrey Watson ( cousins of Murray's, who already had a little son named Watson, a red headed freckled little devil of a lad) and spent their spare time together.

Murray had begun to plan his future, he wanted a place he could call his own. He purchased for the grand sum of $95.70 lot numbers 1165 and 1166 of the Parish of St. Antoine de Longueuil, in the City of St. Lambert fronting on Curzon St. These lots were said to measure twenty five by eighty five English measure each. (50x85) He was to have commenced building with in six months of purchase 12th of June 1946 and to be finished erecting a dwelling with in a delay of one year from the same date

While he was working his credit accounts he was also calling to arrange to have materials delivered to his building site. As the building material companies were just getting reorganized from their war time productions, it was often difficult to locate the necessary supplies to continue with the building and it would take many calls to make the necessary connections with the products. This fact came to the attention of Murray's superiors at IAC and it was suggested that he should find a way to spend more time on their business than he was with his own personal affairs. Murray had assumed perhaps that since his collection records were so good that he could permit himself a few privileges. Unfortunately this was not the case and Murray and IAC separated ways.

As the family moves into their new digs at 466 Curzon St. In St. Lambert, Murray finds himself looking for a new job, and begins with Masson Automobile Enrg, angle Masson & 13e Ave. Rosemount , selling cars. It was a difficult time after the war, things in Montreal were not as prosperous as they what been after the first world war, Toronto and its surrounding area had begun claiming some of Montreal's industries, the rail connection between Montreal and that area west had improved and transportation by truck was available to those industries who did not want to locate in a port head area. Montreal was fast becoming a transit port and not a destination port. The Lachine Canal had been dredged and enlarged several times and some of the smaller ocean going vessels could now navigate into Lake Ontario. Hard times were quite evident in Montreal, and could be found in evidence around the Rosemount area, where Murray worked. It has been said that often he would come into work and find that several of the vehicles on the lot had been stripped of their tires. Even though this appeared not to be the best of locations from which to run and automobile lot, Murray's 1948 income tax records show that the partnership sold for $92,727 racking up a profit for that year of $7,911. Murray took himself $2,324.34 as salary for this period and in 1949 , on his Income Tax form Murray has shown his net income from this partnership, from Jan 1 1949 to April 30 1949 as $652.03. Further information on this form shows that the firm Masson Automobile Enrg had sales of 16,010.$ Their opening inventory was $ 37,760. And they had purchased in that period $11,000 more of inventory. Leaving them with $1,234.00 in gross profit. The company declared $2535.56 in expenses for that period, including the cars that the partners were using as their own. This added to the salary that he allowed himself of $2,493 provided Murray with a grand total of $3,145.03 as his net Income before taxes. The partnership however coupled with the nuisances of vandalism at Masson, were not entirely satisfactory so Murray joined up with the Hart Motors Limited . They were located at 531 Cote de Liesse road, just near the Dorval Airport ( today we find a Veterinary office at this location, working from the original building some what modified) At this time according to his 1950 tax return Murray earned $3,377.00 in commission .

Each and every weekend during the summer months Murray would take his young family out to the farm, which now had passed to his farther Robin, with the death of Josephine Creller , his grandmother in 1941, where he would spend the weekend toiling the soil, picking berries in the woods and generally enjoying himself. As the farmhouse itself was still only a summer home, the major farm work being handled by a tenant farmer, it was closed early October and not reopened until usually the first long weekend in May of the following year.

In St. Lambert, Murray kept himself busy with household activities, parts of the house had not been finished and there was porches to be built, grass to be cut, trees to be planted and so on. Murray had not forgotten about his future however. Now that he was working on Cote de Liesse Road, he was afforded the opportunity to see the number of trucks going right by his offices, Smith Bros. Transport, Kingsway Transport, Direct Motor Express, Maislin Bros. Transport, and so on. At the end of 1950, while discussing future options with the head mechanic at Hart Motors,(Douglas Morrison) it was decided that they too might get into the trucking business. Now as Hart Motors carried a truck line, they arranged to obtain their transport vehicles for a fair price and on August 23rd 1950 Speedway Transport Reg'd came into being .

Things worked out so well for them, in the first year they were able to declare $13,194.77 as gross revenue. Things were moving along quickly and on the 22nd day of August 1951 it was decided that the company should incorporate and we find George Murray Macfie, Truck-man, of St. Laurent and Douglas H S Morrison and John Rennick truck-men both of the City of Montreal being granted letters of patent " To carry on the business of transport of goods, effects, furniture and movable of all kinds, under the name of  " Speedway Transport Ltd ." . With a capital stock of $40,000 divided into 4,000 share of $10.00 each" . With the trucks painted yellow and back, the three men were off to do business taking the Montreal - Toronto corridor by force. This however did not last long, as the other trucking companies began to see their good clients disappearing and being siphoned off by this upstart �Speedway Transport .  It is rumored that Mr. Rennick who had been in charge of Army supplies during the war effort , was not as honest , nor as interested in making a go of this enterprise as were his two partners. Often it has been said that trucks leaving the depot with brand new tires on them would return to the depot with used and worn out tires or other little oddities. This caused the company to accumulate more expenses than it should have. This however, while it was embarrassing and discerning, was not the greatest obstacle Murray had to face. Immediately these larger companies took action and Murray was forced into bankruptcy, his first taste of success abruptly pulled from his grasp.

Isabel, his wife was now pregnant with their second child, Carol Elisabeth , who was to be born August 25 1951. The small family now was entering a period of exasperation, Murray was trying to hold onto his new found means of success and provide a solid future for his growing family. The financial situation was far from improving and he had to look to his mother and father for some support. ( unfortunately his 1952 tax return was not with the others that were found) The house on Curzon St. that he build with the aid of his uncle Jimmy Anderson , heplaced in his brother's name to save it from the bailiffs, times were very difficult. There was no money coming in, and they had to count on the good will of others to help keep them in food.

Murray managed to find him self a part time job at the Taylor's Department store in St. Lambert, selling men's apparel, while he sorted through this unfortunate set back in his career. The taste of trucking however had left him hungry for more, he liked the sense of being able wheel and deal. Along with Doug Morrison, who had managed to get hold of John Ewasew a family friend and lawyer, they managed to get out of their predicament without it costing them all they had. Once closure on Speedway Transport had been made, Murray and company decided to continue in this line of work and Speedway Express Ltd was created on May 15th, 1952.

Murray was now master of his own ship, his future was ahead of him, there was to be no looking back. Master of his own ship, meant that little time was left for family time. Leaving the house a 7 AM and not returning until sometimes the wee hours of the next morning, even the Saturdays were now filled. The young children managed to see their father on Sunday, and this day during the summer was spent at the farm in Clarenceville . Murray became active in the St. Lambert Curling Club ( he was a founding member) and during the wintery Sunday mornings, he would be at the curling rink, the afternoons he would spend going over the company's books, planning his next moves.

Copies of Murrays income tax reports show that things were at least improving and going in the right direction. In 1953 we see a gross income of $ 3,947.52, 1954 - $4,825.00, 1955 - $5,275 and in 1956 he lists himself as Solicitor, salary now $6,600, and we see the signature on the report GMMacfie a signature that we all became familiar with as the years progress.

Murray could now afford to step back from time to time to look at his accomplishments he had joined the Quebec Trucking Association and was helping set rates and tariffs , creating rules and regulations for this new transport industry. He was in his element working of economical propositions, studying profit break points, costs and revenues.

Acting as the sole sales representative for the company he was able to wheel and deal, obtaining contracts from customers, wrenching them right out from under the railway companies , and other trucking competitors. If Murray told a customer he would be able to service his account, Murray made certain he was always available to ensure the account was handled properly. He looked after the cargo claims, the purchasing, the customer service, the billing, often he was on site to see his men in from the border crossings.

Murray did take a break in the summer of 1955, to take his family and his brother Arthur on a weeks trip to Florida. In the summer time, the motel rates were cheaper, and there was more choice to be had. There were not the large crowds at the tourist sites, that could be found during the winter months. This was really the first trip that the family had ever taken outside of short jaunts to Ottawa, or Clarenceville.

As the company grew , Murray, began to travel through the Maritimes, he went to visit his customers, and each summer he took the family along with him. While they stayed at the motel, he was off with the customers. In 1957, August 1, his third child was born, an unexpected, unplanned surprise, a little girl they named Norma Diane. With the business growing, Murray's time away from the family only increased. Most of the time, unless the kids got up at 6:30 AM they would not see their father until Sunday morning, when either everyone was preparing to leave for the farm, or in the winter months, when Murray was leaving to go curling. Unless he arrived early Saturday afternoon, having spent the morning typing transport bills, if this was the case, he would eat quickly and then the family would go to the farm. Once Diane had come along, Isabel decided to remain at home with the baby rather than go off to the farm, as there were very little commodities available there. The farm house had remained a summer home, similar to a cottage. Once George and Josephine died, Robin for what ever reasons did not keep the plumbing systems repaired and what was at the time a modern water works, indoor toilet and bath with an interior water reservoir deteriorated to such extent that they became useless. Even the water in the well could not be used for human consumption, the only one daring to drink the snake infested water was Robin , himself. Once in the country, Murray left his two kinds to their own designs, and in good weather worked the garden with the old Massey Harris "22", went off berry picking, or in bad weather worked at first on Speedway's books, and afterwards on the books of Don's Marine and Varennes Fiberglass companies.

Murray would take the kids in to Clarenceville , when it was decided that more bread or some home baked beans were needed to complete the meals over the weekend. On the odd occasion a drive to Missisquoi Bay might occur if it was in his interest, but other than that once the farm was reached Saturday afternoon, Murray looked to his kids only at meal time and spoke to send them to bed at night. Not once were the kids taken on a tour of the area in which his family, the Macfie , the Hawley , the Creller , settled, lived, prospered and died.

Murray was well on his way, for he had looked after himself, Isabel remained at home looking to the children's welfare on something equal to $50 dollars a week. This was for all the household expenses other than the fuel, the taxes and mortgage. Murray was not the least concerned whether his children were dressed and wearing shoes or not, he was too involved with his career. If we look over his income tax reports for 1957 to 1960 we see his salary increasing from $6,850. to $8,375. , almost 20% increase, and the company had devised another means of compensating Murray for his efforts, they began paying commissions. In 1958 Murray received $1,615.00 commission, 1959 -$2,489.00 and in 1960 his Income tax reports shows a commission of $3,870.24. Murray's gross income for 1960 was some $12,245.24. In just ten years Murray had risen from a measly $2,678.00 to this tidy sum of $12,254.24. A salary he could be proud of, but one that cost him dearly if we look at the family relationship. Murray was no longer just a Solicitor but Sales Manager of Speedway Express Ltd, 8855 Park Ave., Montreal Quebec. - Serving Quebec and the Maritimes. It is about this time that Murray begins to become obsessed with his self worth.

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In a note book we find, dated Dec 31 1959, Murray lists his personnel assets :

His estimated personnel value right to the very cent.

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His cousin Donald Anderson , one of Jimmy's sons, had himself a small shop in St. Lambert where he repaired lawn mowers, and boat motors and did some skate sharpening on the side. Donald was very adapt at repairing motors, especially boat motors, he had done some speed boat racing in his younger years in Valleyfield. Donald however was not as particular when it came to the business end of things. His wife Sally help with the book keeping tying often as not to make ends meet. Murray saw this enterprise an opportunity to expand his horizon, a paying hobby sort of deal. Why sit at home enjoying the family when you could be working on marketing plans of a small company, after all what was spare time for.

Not with standing all of Murray's good intentions, and if we refer back to the personal analysis done for IAC in September of 1945 where it stated that his social Intelligent was considerably above average , and that his social independence was above average Murray had one problem, in his quest for the golden ring, he was easily assimilated by those around him.

Some of the characters working in this newly developing industry of road transportation were not all sons of the elite of the times. A good many of them were unruly, rough edged, vulgar and uncivilized, others were just plain deceitful, dishonest and disgusting. Murray who had had the opportunity to have been brought up with social manners befitting a University educated person of the times was unable to bring his associates up to his level of social intelligence and so he sunk to their level of social intelligence, all to his disadvantage.

In 1961 it was decided that dwelling of a larger size would be necessary, after all the small house on Curzon street had only two bedrooms, the upstairs had been rented out at first to Gaino and Merle, family acquaintances, then to a couple from Germany.

The rent they paid was used to help with the household expenses, as even though Murray was now earning a fairly adequate salary for the times, he saw no reason to increase the weekly funds provided to Isabel for the necessities needed to run this household. The living arrangement was acceptable for two smaller children, however Douglas was now turning 13 and Elizabeth 9, and with the arrival of Diane, the family had to forego the tenants in favour of providing Douglas with a separate bedroom from the girls.

Neighbours on Curzon St. had moved to new digs on Logan St., and so it was that Murray and Isabel began their search for larger dwellings. These was some ostentation as to the location to which they might move. Speedway Express was located in the Park Extension area of Montreal and Murray had to travel over the bridges to go back and froth to work, which was very time consuming. The children and Isabel had however settled themselves into the St. Lambert area , and Isabel had had enough moving around during the years she and Murray had spent in the Air Force. After much discussion, some of it very heated, the couple settled on a large brick home at 370 Logan St., just a couple of blocks from the Curzon location, thus allowing everyone to maintain the relationships they had made in the neighbourhood since 1946. Further more 370 Logan was almost next door to Murray's  Aunt Jessie, her son Donald and his family. In fact we were close enough that Murray did not have to buy a lawn mower, we had to borrow Donald's each time we cut the grass. Murray paid for this new residence in cash, with no mortgage $25,000.00. He did not however intend to put any money into the house to modernize, nor repair some of the defects that it had.( being built in 1955 the house had an old style kitchen, a large room over the garage that was not insulated and could not be used year round, a back porch and balcony that had seen better days, and an electrical system that had been redone, leaving some of the older connections still active, while not all the rewired ones worked. To Murray it was a place to sleep, a place where he could shower and have his breakfast. His three children were now separated each with their own room which given their age was as should have been. He had no more interest than that in his new home.

Murray became more and more involved with Don's Marine Reg'd, setting Don Anderson on his feet, Murray managed to find some $40,000.00 to invest in this enterprise. They expanded bringing in sporting goods, they moved to a large location in the City of St. Lambert , offering now not only motor repairs, but fishing equipment, golfing, tennis, baseball goods, and new motors both for lawns and boats.

The weekends continued as they had all along, Murray would go to the office of Speedway Express on Saturday morning, his son Douglas now accompanying him, then arriving back home around 1 or 2pm , the two girls would join them for the regular trip to the farm in Clarenceville, where if not working in the garden, Murray would work on the affairs of Don's Marine Reg'd, returning home late Sunday night. On the odd occasion during the winter months Murray might be cajoled into accompanying the family and friends to Ste Basile Le Grand for a day of tobogganing.

These years were busy years for Murray, he was intent on scheming to become as he said a J P Taylor, his idol. He bought penny stocks in mining companies to the tune of $ xxxxx thinking he would make a fortune as soon as the stock rose. This did not happen, the bottom dropped out of the market and he lost. Undeterred he forged ahead  to be continued..

Robert Douglas carries the names of both his grandfathers,(Robert Scott Laing , Robert Eugene Macfie) his great-great grandfather, ( Robert Macfie) ,his great great great great grandfather ( Robert Macfie of Langhouse) and (Robert McFie originally of the Isle of Bute (1680)). The Douglas was simply a name that his parents liked , however there may have been a slight adherence to the name because one of Murray's working companions was named Douglas. Douglas Morrison was a really nice guy ( known as Doug to his family and friends )

Danny, Diane's husband must be credited for the creation of these web pages, for had it not been for him,the author Douglas Macfie would never had been able to put all this information into such a presentation

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