William Lyon Mackenzie - Early Years in Canada, 1820–1824

Early Years in Canada, 1820–1824

Mackenzie initially found a job working on the Lachine Canal in Lower Canada. He wrote for the Montreal Herald during this period. John Leslie, on the other hand, had settled in York, Upper Canada (now Toronto) and Mackenzie soon became employed at Leslie's bookselling/drugstore business. Mackenzie fell in love with Upper Canada and began writing for the York Observer.

In 1822, Edward Lesslie and the rest of his family, along with Elizabeth Mackenzie, joined Mackenzie and John Lesslie in Upper Canada. Elizabeth brought along a young woman, Isabel Baxter (1805–73), whom she had chosen for William Lyon Mackenzie to marry, and the couple were married July 1, 1822 in Montreal. Isabel would ultimately bear Mackenzie 14 children (including Isabel Grace Mackenzie, the mother of William Lyon Mackenzie King).

Edward and John Lesslie now opened a branch store of their business in Dundas, entering into a partnership with Mackenzie on the understanding that Mackenzie would move to Dundas to be the store's manager; the store sold drugs, hardware, and general merchandise, and Mackenzie also operated a circulating library in Dundas. However, Mackenzie's relationship with the Lesslies soured and the partnership was dissolved in 1823. He moved to Queenston and established a business there. While there, he established a relationship with Robert Randal, one of four members representing Lincoln County in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.