MacKAY, Alexander Sinclair Wemyss (1878-1967), architect of North Vancouver, B.C., and in partnership with Henry Blackadder (see list of works under Blackadder & MacKay). Born in Carlisle, Co. Cumberland, England on 13 July 1878, he may have received his architectural training there, and he emigrated to Canada in 1910. He was accompanied by J.W. MacKay, likely his brother who was trained as a civil engineer, and they were in a brief partnership of MacKay & MacKay in North Vancouver (City of Vancouver Directory, 1911, p. 1277). In October 1911, the firm of MacKay & Dewar Architects won the competition for St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, North Vancouver, and their Gothic design was selected over 14 other architects from Vancouver, Seattle and elsewhere (The Express (North Vancouver), 13 Oct. 1911, page 1, descrip.). His partner in preparing this design was none other than Andrew Dewar, then aged 66, a prominent Scottish architect who had lived and worked in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick from 1870 to 1881 and who later returned to Edinburgh before moving to South Africa in 1901.
In late 1911 A.S.W MacKay was invited to form a partnership with Henry Blackadder, but their collaboration was interrupted by WWI when both went overseas to serve with Canadian Forces in France. Their partnership resumed in 1919, and their office was relocated to downtown Vancouver in 1921 and remained active until 1930. MacKay then moved to New Zealand to continue his career as an architect, and he later died at Katikati, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand on 10 April 1967 (inf. New Zealand, Civil Registration Death Index, 1967, No. 25610)
MacKAY & MacKAY (works in North Vancouver)
SIXTH STREET WEST, large residence for T.J. Stephens, costing $10,000, 1911 (North Shore Press (North Vancouver), 26 June 1931, 3, historical article)
MacKAY & MacKAY (works in Vancouver)
EAST PENDER STREET, near Templeton Drive, residence for Gideon B. Price, 1911 (City of Vancouver b.p. 26 Aug. 1911)
COMPETITIONS
REGINA, SASK., WW1 War Memorial Cenotaph, Victoria Park, 1926. A.S.W. MacKay was one of 51 architects and artists who submitted a design in this national competition (Morning Leader [Regina], 9 Feb. 1926, 1, full list of competitors). The winner was Robert G. Heughan of Montreal.