Maryboro Lodge Personality: Bill Scott

Bill operated a grocery store on the main street of Kinmount, just north of the bridge alongside his wife Betty. She was really the one who managed the business, and practically everyone in town knew them. One day, the butcher was unable to come in, so she asked her husband (who knew the trade) to cover for him. Bill was right there to help, spent the morning talking to everyone who came into the store, and found the time to cut about six pieces of meat… then gave each one away. Betty, of course, didn’t think the family business should entail just giving the produce away. On the other hand, local residents really enjoyed visiting with Bill. 

Betty and Bill Scott at Scott's General Store, Kinmount, 1965 Election

In 1965, Bill became the Conservative candidate for the Victoria riding and was a great fit. He was a farmer at heart, he loved horses, and loved to visit with people. In an era when many people were fashion-conscious, he was the kind of person who was not afraid to get his hands dirty. While gladhanding during the 1984 election campaign, he asked one lady what it would take to get her vote. She replied that she would like to see him milk her goat, and he was happy to oblige. He had the ability to walk into a room and make everyone feel better, which helped him win eight consecutive elections.

Bill was energetic. He would stop at nothing to help community organizations, and he particularly cared about the Kinmount Fair. Through his tireless work, it became a great community celebration, even as ever fewer people around Kinmount actually farmed. He loved horses, and he had a wonderful ability to train them. Few locals would forget the sight of Bill Scott riding Blaze at many of the region’s parades and fairs.

Bill Scott on Blaze in a Fenelon Falls Parade - Blaze was a hunter jumper

Every year, the local Conservative Party association would host a barbecue—where else, but the Kinmount fairgrounds. Whereas some other candidates would think that the riding association should focus on the great political questions of the day, Bill Scott knew how to throw a great barbecue. They would bake 40 or 50 pounds of beans in a sap kettle and had a huge barbecue that would cook enough beef for 500 people. With a few drinks and some entertainment, what was not to like?

Bill loved the time he got to spend in Ottawa just as much. He was always part of the social gatherings, and never missed the chance to go to a Chinese restaurant. Just as he loved going to his constituents’ anniversary gatherings, he was part of many joyous parties on Parliament Hill. It was an era when representatives would know the prime minister personally, even if their politics differed. One of Bill’s best friends was a member of the NDP. He often said that the worst thing that happened was the introduction of cameras to the House of Commons, because members started to perform for the viewers at home. The personal relationships he had spent a lifetime building became more difficult to maintain amid the partisan bickering that seemed to reflect an increasingly win-at-all-costs mentality.

Bill was a career backbencher; his only post came in 1989 as secretary to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs. He was happy to focus on his own riding. After having represented the region for almost 28 years, he was forced to retire in 1993 due to Alzheimer’s—the man who had known everyone by name suddenly couldn’t remember what he was talking about long enough to give a speech. He would miss seeing all the people in his riding and in Ottawa. His daughter, Laurie Scott, is now the MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock.

Garnet Graham Park Dedication, Garnet, Bill Scott and Barclay Taylor, 1996