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Study: Concern about misinformation—connections to trust in media, confidence in institutions, civic engagement and hopefulness, 2023/2024
Released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time in The Daily, Wednesday, June 18, 2025
In 2023, close to 6 in 10 Canadians reported being very or extremely concerned about the presence of misinformation online. Misinformation, which is news or information that is verifiably false or inaccurate, can affect public trust in institutions, which in turn can have various impacts on social cohesion or civic engagement.
A new study released today, entitled "Concern about misinformation: Connections to trust in media, confidence in institutions, civic engagement, and hopefulness," provides insights about these issues by looking at the profile of Canadians who express greater concern over misinformation online. The study also examines how these concerns are related to trust in institutions, such as the justice system and courts.
People with higher levels of education and older people are among the most concerned with misinformation While nearly 6 in 10 Canadians (59%) reported being very or extremely concerned about the presence of misinformation online in 2023, 27% reported being somewhat concerned and 14% said that they were not very or not at all concerned.
While no significant differences could be identified across gender lines, older people and people with higher education were more likely to report having such concerns.
In 2023, close to half (46%) of people with less than a high school diploma reported being extremely or very concerned about misinformation online, compared with two-thirds (66%) of those with at least a bachelor's degree.
Additionally, just over two-thirds (68%) of Canadians aged 65 to 74 years were extremely or very concerned about misinformation online, compared with close to half (46%) of those aged 15 to 24 years.
Concern over misinformation online is associated with lower confidence in various institutions but not in the media.
Among Canadians who reported having high levels of concern over misinformation in 2023, half (50%) had high levels of confidence in the justice system. In comparison, this proportion was 59% for those who were somewhat concerned about misinformation and 64% for those with low levels of concern about misinformation.
At the same time, there is no evidence that concerns over misinformation online have an impact on trust in the media in general. Specifically, Canadians who reported having high levels of concern about misinformation were just as likely to trust the media as Canadians who expressed low levels of concern about misinformation.
Concern over misinformation online and fact-checking go hand in hand.
Individuals can use a variety of verification methods to address their concerns about misinformation. These can include using personal knowledge and talking with family and friends to assess the accuracy of information, as well as visiting fact-checking sites and verifying the information with other news sources.
In 2023, more than half (53%) of Canadians reported always or often using at least one additional source to verify the accuracy of news stories. Fact-checking was more common among people who said they were very or extremely concerned about misinformation online (69%) than among those who were somewhat concerned (22%) or not very or not at all concerned (10%).
Report from Statistics Canada.
This release uses data from the third panel of the Survey Series on People and their Communities (SSPC): Quality of Life, Source of Information and Trust. Additionally, this release used the SSPC Longitudinal Weights file to include data from the fourth and fifth panels of the SSPC: Sport, Workplace Culture, Political Engagement and Shared Values as well as Social Cohesion and Experiences with Discrimination. The Longitudinal Weights file was calculated for respondents who participated in all five panels of the SSPC.
In the SSPC, misinformation is defined as "news or information that is verifiably false or inaccurate. The sharer of misinformation may or may not be aware that it is misinformation. When they are aware, it is often referred to as disinformation."
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Inflation slowed in 2024, but Canadians continued to shift their grocery shopping habits
June 10, 2025, 11:00 a.m. (EDT)
Prices for food purchased from stores increased by almost one-tenth (+9.8%) in 2022, the largest annual increase since 1981 (+12.0%), amid broad-based inflation. This rate slowed in 2023 (+7.8%) and even more so in 2024 (+2.2%).
Still, prices for groceries have continued to take a bigger bite of Canadians’ budgets. In 2023, households spent on average 7.4% more on food purchased from stores than in 2021. Approximately one in four Canadians (25.5%) living in the provinces faced food insecurity in 2023.
For many, this meant not only changing consumption and purchasing habits, but also stretching one’s dollar by visiting different types of stores, according to analysis of retail data we conducted in 2023.
More specifically, the share of food sales at general merchandise retailers—including department stores, warehouse clubs, supercentres and others, such as dollar stores—rose from 21.6% in early 2021 to 25.9% in late 2022. However, food and beverage retailers, mostly grocery stores, still accounted for most sales.
With this backdrop, let’s break down some more recent data by store and product type to see where and how Canadians filled their shopping carts in 2023 and 2024.
Food and beverage sales account for nearly one-quarter of total retail spending in 2024.
First, the big picture: Canada-wide retail sales rose by $10.6 billion (+1.3%) from 2023 to $803.0 billion in 2024.
The drivers of this overall increase in 2024? Purchases of food from general merchandise retailers, which increased by $3.7 billion (+8.9%) to $45.3 billion, and from food and beverage retailers, which rose by $2.4 billion (+1.8%) to $137.0 billion.
So, while traditional grocery stores continue reporting the most food sales, Canadians are increasingly spending their dollars elsewhere, and, as the data show, patterns are emerging regarding which products are being purchased.
Fresh food sales at general merchandise retailers increase at triple the pace of those at food and beverage retailers.
Fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, eggs and dairy products, baked goods, and other perishables, continued to make up a higher proportion of sales among food and beverage retailers than general merchandise retailers from 2023 to 2024.
Over the same period, fresh food sales increased by $1.6 billion (+2.7%) to $62.2 billion for food and beverage retailers and by $1.6 billion (+8.0%) to $22.2 billion for general merchandise retailers.
Though sales for both retailer types increased by the same amount, the near-triple rate of increase among general merchandise retailers may suggest a consumer shift toward seeking better deals.
Prices for virtually all fresh foods rose in 2023, largely due to poor growing conditions, higher input and transportation costs and lingering COVID-19 pandemic-related supply chain issues. Though price increases slowed considerably in 2024, consumers may have continued to shop around more.
Pronounced shift in sales of packaged foods, dry goods and other similar products at general merchandise retailers.
Sales of frozen and packaged foods, dry goods and a range of other products also increased from 2023 to 2024. These sales rose by $729.8 million (+1.9%) to $39.0 billion at food and beverage retailers and by $1.7 billion (+9.2%) to $19.7 billion at general merchandise retailers.
The sales increase for these foods, when compared with that of fresh foods, could signal a more notable shift in shopping habits. General merchandise retailers have long competed with more traditional grocery stores for these types of products, offering similar layouts in the middle aisles and large freezer sections.
Inflation did continue to take a considerable bite out of many products in this category in both years, possibly reinforcing those habits.
Beverage sales fizzle at grocery stores.
Sales of soft drinks, other beverages (including alcohol) and ice have long represented a steady proportion of sales at food and beverage retailers. However, increases have largely gone flat; the $35.8 billion in sales in 2024 was little changed from 2023.
Over the same period, sales of those products increased 13.2% to $3.5 billion at general merchandise retailers, driven by soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages. This possibly reflects shifts in consumption habits and convenience rather than inflation, given their lower price range.
Overall alcohol sales declined from 2023 to 2024 among all retailers. Notably, provincial liquor authorities and other retail outlets recorded a decline in sales in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.
Shrinking share for health and personal care retailers.
Health and personal care retailers—mostly at drug stores, pharmacies and food (health) supplement stores—saw their food sales tick down by $261.9 million from 2023 to $2.7 billion in 2024.
In addition to the annual decline, sales in this category also showed a pattern of decline in each quarter of 2024 compared with the same quarter one year earlier in most product categories.
Retailers in this category are likelier to have higher price tags, smaller inventories and less selection compared with the larger-scale stores.
Ahead in the checkout lane for 2025: grocery prices trending upward.
On a year-over-year basis, prices for food purchased from stores were up in January (+1.9%), February (+2.8%), March (+3.2%) and April (+3.8). The uptick in January matched the headline inflation rate, which was then outpaced by grocery price increases in the next three months.
Retail data (product and retailer type) for the first quarter of 2025 will be released on July 8, 2025.
Stay tuned to StatsCAN Plus for an in-depth look at Canadian households’ food expenditures in 2023, using newly released data from the Survey of Household Spending.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland and world news stories that can affect Scotland and as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on search engines it becomes a good resource. I might also add that in a number of newspapers you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish which I do myself from time to time.
Here is what caught my eye this week...
Glasgow’s Industrial Revolution
Glasgow’s rise during the Industrial Revolution reshaped Britain. From shipbuilding on the Clyde to the impact of Irish migration, explore how the city became an industrial powerhouse. Uncover the origins of Celtic Football Club and the challenges of urban life in this historic documentary.
Watch this at:
https://youtu.be/VDISCxGNXT8?si=XUtaLSBaWxVxTI5J
The Race to Harness Quantum Computing's Mind-Bending Power | The Future With Hannah Fry
With the promise of unimaginable computing power, a global race for quantum supremacy is raging. Who will be first to harness this new technological force, and what will they do with it?
Watch this at:
https://youtu.be/1_gJp2uAjO0?si=J_19rjKOi-DGhqml
Campaigning, not governing
In recent days an avalanche of reports has shown the deterioration in a range of public services since then. This is scarcely surprising when we consider the nature of the governing party, the SNP.
Read more at:
https://thinkscotland.org/2025/06/ca...not-governing/
Scotland's six best restaurants named at prestigious National Restaurant Awards
Here are the top eateries in the country.
Read more at:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotla...named-35379739
Drones are taking over modern combat
While Ukraine is seeking to remove humans from the front line with a vast fleet of drones, the recent Strategic Defence Review recommends the UK have more soldiers, cadets and reservists. This is the wrong direction to take our Armed Forces in. Transforming this will be a slow process, but we may not have that much time.
Read more at:
https://capx.co/drones-are-taking-ov...-uk-isnt-ready
Happy birthday, Adam Smith
Three hundred and two years ago today, in 1723, in the Old Kirk in Kirkcaldy, a baby was baptised. The widowed Margaret Smith, from a local landowning family, gave her only child the name her husband had borne: Adam. She could never have known that this baby would go on to change the way we view economics forever.
Read more at:
https://www.cityam.com/happy-birthda...-fresh-at-302/
What happened to trust?
From supermarkets to train stations, everywhere we look, we can see trust declining in Britain. In any society, there are always incentives to cheat or free-ride. But once trust begins to break, it easily collapses. To prevent Britain continuing down this path, we need to re-examine our shared values and norms.
Read more at:
https://capx.co/whatever-happened-to-social-trust
Make Europe Great Again
By David Gow on June 18, 2025
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2025/06/make-europe-great-again/
China positions itself as a stable economic partner and alternative to ‘unpredictable’ Trump
Beijing is looking to increase its international role. Chinese leadership in international agencies affiliated with the UN has increased over the years, and so has its financial commitment to international institutions.
Read more at:
https://theconversation.com/china-po...e-trump-258443
University bosses quit after damning report into financial collapse
The principal of Dundee University and two senior members of its governing body have quit after a damning report into the financial collapse that led to a £22m government bailout.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjel3ng04q4o
Conrad Black: Let's make a bonfire of Canada's ghastly wokeness
It is irritating and distressing to see Canada robotically following the British and French and two other countries in imposing sanctions on two Israeli cabinet ministers over their comments related to the West Bank.
Read more at:
https://archive.is/Z6Xdo#selection-2223.96-2223.216
Does a civil service shake-up loom in the £1bn crackdown on public sector waste?
My late mother used to complain regularly over the family dinner about "waste" in the civil service - and now it's a big concerns for the Scottish Government.
Read more at:
https://archive.is/Jifye
Ford Dares to Say what no Politician has ever said
Indigenous people cant keep coming hat in hand to the government you have to be able to take care of yourselves... especially while they deny resource projects.
Watch this at:
https://x.com/Tablesalt13/status/1935687342318076122
How Iran’s grand strategy collapsed
Since 7 October 2023, the pillars of Iran's military doctrine have collapsed one by one, paving the way for Israel's lightning strike on the country's military facilities and the possible implosion of the Islamic Republic.
Read more at:
https://engelsbergideas.com/notebook...egy-collapsed/
Electric Canadian
Libyans in Canada
Added a page to explore Libyans in Canada
You can get to this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/history/libyans.htm
John MacDonell
Lieutenant-Colonel (pdf)
Learn about him at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/make...-MacDonell.pdf
Hebridean Connections
Learn more about their upcoming conference at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/pion...onnections.pdf
The Mohawk Language
By Oronhyatekha, of the Mohawk Nation (1876) (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...uage00oron.pdf
The Founding of Fort Severn
You can read this article at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...FortSevern.htm
Food first
How agriculture can lead a new era for Canadian exports (pdf)
You can read this article at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...Final-2025.pdf
Overview of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector for 2023 (pdf)
You can read this report at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...ulture2023.pdf
To John MacDonald Esquire, President of The Highland Society of Canada
By Arch. John Macdonell, (Younger of Greenfield.), Greenfield, Glengarry, 22nd Jan., 1844 (pdf)
An interesting letter which you can read at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...nada_pages.pdf
Construction
A Journal for the Architectural, Engineering, and Contracting Interests of Canada. Added Volume 7 1914 (pdf) for you to read.
You can get to this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/maga...nstruction.htm
Highways of Canadian Literature
By John Daniel Logan and Donald G. French (1924) (pdf)
You can read this book at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...Literature.pdf
Diary of Clarence Ross
Killed at Vimy Ridge, France - April 9, 1917 (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/diary.pdf
73rd Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force of the Royal Highlanders of Canada Daily Orders Part II
This document contains a complete set of the Part II Daily Orders of the 73rd Canadian Infantry Battalion "Royal Highlanders". The unit was organized in Montreal, Quebec on August 15, 1915 and disbanded on September 15, 1920. The 73rd Infantry Battalion served with the 12th Brigade of the 4th Canadian Division in the Great War of 1914-1921, with extensive combat service in France and Flanders. The unit joined the 12th Brigade on August 13, 1916 and was withdrawn from the battle zone on August 14, 1917 after suffering heavy losses in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, specifically in the attack on "The Pimple". (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/73rdBnPIIDO.pdf
73rd Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force of the Royal Highlanders of Canada (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/bw.pdf
Thoughts on a Sunday Morning - the 15th day of June 2025 - Father's Day
By The Rev. Nola Crewe
You can watch this at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/foru...5-father-s-day
War Cuts & Clippings
A. C. Evans Scrapbook Volume XII from September 12, 1918 to December 12, 1918 (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/scrapbook.pdf
The Beaver Magazine
Added No. 4 Outfit 257 Mar 1927 (pdf)
You can read this issue at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...rMarch1927.pdf
My Canadian Experience
Updated this months entry to reflect some developments.
You can read the updates at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/canada_add22.htm
Massey Ferguson: The Company That Fed the World
Unearth the gritty tale of Massey Ferguson - how a blacksmith’s crazy dream and a lucky coin toss ignited a farming revolution. From rusty workshops to roaring red tractors dominating fields worldwide, these machines didn’t just plow dirt - they saved harvests and fed billions. Ready to see how yesterday’s grit powers today’s food? Dive in now - this isn’t just a story, it’s the pulse of our planet!
You can watch this at:
https://youtu.be/4xmmH20CsMY?si=6dK9oYJiCbyoBft1
Dictionary of Glengarry Biography
A very good list of people in the area with biographies about them [external link]
You can get to this resource at:
http://glengarryhistoricalsociety.co....php?id=z1list
Electric Scotland
The story of the 1949-1953 revival on the Isle of Lewis. 2003
Added this video towards the foot of our Relgion page and you can get to it at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/index.htm
Surveying and Analysing Connections between Properties in Care and the British Empire, c.1600-1997
A research report that explores the extent and character of relationships between the properties in the care of the Scottish Ministers and the British Empire by Dr Stephen Mullen (Lecturer in History, University of Glasgow), Dr Andrew Mackillop (Senior Lecturer in Scottish History) and Professor Stephen Driscoll (Professor of Historical Archaeology) (pdf)
You can read this report at:
https://electricscotland.com/histori...ire-report.pdf
Hong Kong Hongs with Long Histories and British connections
By Dan Waters (1990) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...c24f687bbe.pdf
Making an Upland Farm Pay
The Glenlivet Experiment (1961) (pdf)
You can read this article at:
https://electricscotland.com/agricul...nlivitfarm.pdf
Genealogy of the O'Scanlon Family
Scanlan, Scanlon (1938) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclan...scan00scan.pdf
Genealogie of the Hayes of Tweedale
By Father Richard Augustin Hay (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclan...ye1835hayr.pdf
Bishop George Hay
Information about him and his works. Since the religious revolution of the sixteenth century, to no man has the Catholic Church in Scotland been so much indebted as to Bishop Hay. He is pre-eminently her bishop of the last three hundred years.
You can view our many findings about him at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/bishop-hay.htm
Scalan Seminary
A video about it and some additional information which you can view at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/scalan.htm
A guide to some MacLennan Places across Scotland
By Bruce A McLennan, first edition (2018) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclan...A-McLennan.pdf
The Cost of the British State
By Daniel Herring (2025) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/indepen...tish-State.pdf
We Spent 36 hours in Amsterdam
Added this video to our Netherlands page which you can watch at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...ands/index.htm
The Life of Sir William Quiller Orchardson
By Hilda Orchardson Gray (1930) (pdf)
You can learn about him at:
"https://electricscotland.com/art/Sir-William-Quiller-Orchardson.pdf
Scottish Sciences & Tech Lab Space Shortages
"Critical Bottlenecks" Threaten Innovations By Bill Magee & Cameron McGregor Bowes
You can read this article at:
https://electricscotland.com/magee/article0032.htm
Story
To John MacDonald Esquire, President of The Highland Society of Canada
By Arch. John Macdonell, (Younger of Greenfield.), Greenfield, Glengarry, 22nd Jan., 1844.
My dear Sir,
When circumstances have forced a people to abandon their native country, and seek the means of subsistence among foreigners, or in the Colonies of their own country, they carry with them as a matter of course, the feelings and the prejudices,— alike honorable—which they had imbibed at home; to perpetuate which in the land of their adoption, to instil into the minds of their children the same principles they themselves had been taught, to teach them to love above all others—above even that of their own nativity, the country from which stem necessity alone could have driven their fathers, and with which all those fathers nearest and dearest associations are connected, and to rivet the connection between their new country and their old, among other means Emigrants have invariably adopted the formation of National Societies. It cannot be otherwise than that these Societies must answer the end for which they are instituted, and arguing with the intention of proving it, would be supererogatory and useless.
With such objects in view did the Highlanders in London establish the Highland Society of London, with what great success is well known. That this venerable and distinguished Institution has mainly contributed to preserve in its purity, the Highland character, and has done more to promote the general welfare of the Highlands, than any other Association, is a general and well grounded opinion.
While the Highlanders of Canada remember with gratitude, that to the late lamented Bishop Macdonell, they owe the establishment of a Branch of that Society among them, they cannot forget that to you they are indebted for its re-organization after it had ceased operation for fifteen years.
The generous and patriotic motives that animated you in the work cannot be sufficiently appreciated; but I am sure that you feel yourself in some measure recompensed for all your trouble and anxiety, when you consider how much the Society has already done to promote the objects for which it was established and re-organized.
In order that those objects may be more generally and more clearly known and understood, I have, by permission, compiled an account of the Society, containing the speech of Mr. Simon MacGillivray to the gentlemen who took part in its formation, from which more can be learned of the History and purposes of the Parent Society, than from any remarks I could make; the Constitution and By-Laws, a list of the Members, and such other information, the publication of which, I thought, would in any way tend to serve the Society, or interest and gratify its Members.
I do not think it necessary to appeal to the feelings of our countrymen for a liberal support of the Institution; this has already been given, and to their credit be it spoken, that from Quebec to Amherstburg the utmost enthusiasm has been shown in support of this Society, which I hope and believe will be the instrument of preserving in Canada the recollection of the Highland name, and with it the chivalrous and devoted loyalty, and other noble qualities which made the ancient Highland character the first in the world. Should the national character be doomed to give way to the encroachments of modern innovations, you will have in an eminent degree, the satisfaction of knowing that you made an effort to save it.
As a Member of the Highland Society of Canada, I joined most heartily in the mark of grateful respect shewn by it to the memory of its venerated founder: and as such I desire to express my gratitude to its preserver, while as a private individual, I shew my repect for the Gentleman, by inscribing this small compilation to you.
I am, my dear Sir, Very truly yours, Arch. John Macdonell, (Younger of Greenfield.), Greenfield, Glengarry, 22d Jan, 1844.
You can read his account of the Highland Society of Canada at:
https://www.electriccanadian.com/his...nd_society.pdf
Macdonell, Archibald John
(1822-27 March 1864), lawyer. (A. J. Macdonell, Archibald John Macdonell (the younger of Greenfield); his Kingston office of recorder is often mentioned with his name as a distinction that particularly identified him) Born in Canada, possibly GC. Parents: Duncan Macdonell of Greenfield and his wife Harriet, who was the daughter of Archibald Macdonell of Leek.
Archibald John was active in the revival in the 1840s under the auspices of John Mcdonald of Garth of the Highland Society of Canada, originally founded in 1818. Macdonell was secretary and one of the directors of the revived society. He was the author of An Account of the Highland Society of Canada, a Branch of the Highland Society of London (Montreal, Armour and Ramsay, 1844). In this booklet, he gives his name as “arch. john macdonell, (Younger of Greenfield)” and states his address and time as “Greenfield, Glengarry, 22 January, 1844.” Greenfield, in this instance, must be presumed to be not the present Glengarry village of Greenfield, but his father’s farm, Lot 5 in the 9th Concession of Charlottenburgh. In 1857, he succeeded his father as lt.-col. of the 2nd Battalion Glengarry Militia, and he held this position till his death. At the time of this appointment, he was apparently also lt.-col. of the 5th Battalion of the Frontenac Militia.
Archibald John Macdonell was by 1854 the law partner of the future Sir John A. Macdonald, at Kingston, a position he held for the final decade of his life. He and Macdonald together got involved in investments which failed, with the result that after the death of Archibald John, the future Sir John A. was in grave financial difficulties. Archibald John held the office of recorder of Kingston. He was a director of the Commercial Bank of Canada, and also a solicitor to the bank.
He was married at Kingston on 12 Oct. 1848 to Mary Catherine Long Innes or Long-Innes, who like himself was a descendant of Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield, the 1792 emigration leader. Her father was a lieut. in the 37th Regiment, and was afterwards employed in the topographical surveys of Ireland conducted by the geologist and civil engineer Sir Richard John Griffith.
Archibald John Macdonell died in Philadelphia, at an age somewhat roundly stated as 40. He was buried in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kingston. The Daily British Whig (Kingston) published the following, copied here complete: “the late recorder.–All that was mortal of the much beloved and greatly lamented Archibald John Macdonell was deposited in the cold grave on Saturday. His Funeral was large, and he was followed to his last resting place by all the worth and respectability of the city, independent of the many who came from a distance to take part in the sad solemnity. A solemn Mass for the Dead was performed in the R. C. Cathedral, (to which the body was first conveyed,) and afterwards the Funeral Cortege, in carriages, proceeded to the new R. C. Cemetery, where all that remained of the best and kindest-hearted gentleman, that ever lived in Kingston, was left to await the sound of the last Trump; a sound that come when it may, will most assuredly call him to that reward which his honesty, his integrity, and his single-heartedness have most surely entitled him to expect.” In his will, made the day before he died, he named his law partner John A. Macdonald as one of his executors, but Macdonald excused himself from acting. In the will also he urged Macdonald to represent to the Trust and Loan Co. “that I have lost my life in their service.”
He was the father of John A. Macdonell of Greenfield, and of a daughter Georgina (Mrs Duncan A. Macdonald), both long-time residents of Alexandria, GC, and of another daughter Mary Elizabeth Macdonell, who never married, and was superintendent of nurses for some years at St. Mary’s Hospital, Brooklyn, NY.
His widow, who was present in Philadelphia when he signed his will, spent her last years in GC, dying in Alexandria on 21 Jan. 1881. The diarist Angus MacMillan recorded her death, “Mrs Archy John McDonell died in Alexandria.” She is buried at St. Raphael’s. Her obituary stated that it was the family intention to have her husband’s body removed soon to St. Raphael’s for reburial there. In his will, her son John A. in 1930 left the residue of his estate to the parish priest at St. Raphael’s, “for such purposes as he may decide in memory of my dear mother…and my beloved sister” Mary Elizabeth.
END.
Weekend is almost here and hope it's a good one for you.
Alastair
Study: Concern about misinformation—connections to trust in media, confidence in institutions, civic engagement and hopefulness, 2023/2024
Released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time in The Daily, Wednesday, June 18, 2025
In 2023, close to 6 in 10 Canadians reported being very or extremely concerned about the presence of misinformation online. Misinformation, which is news or information that is verifiably false or inaccurate, can affect public trust in institutions, which in turn can have various impacts on social cohesion or civic engagement.
A new study released today, entitled "Concern about misinformation: Connections to trust in media, confidence in institutions, civic engagement, and hopefulness," provides insights about these issues by looking at the profile of Canadians who express greater concern over misinformation online. The study also examines how these concerns are related to trust in institutions, such as the justice system and courts.
People with higher levels of education and older people are among the most concerned with misinformation While nearly 6 in 10 Canadians (59%) reported being very or extremely concerned about the presence of misinformation online in 2023, 27% reported being somewhat concerned and 14% said that they were not very or not at all concerned.
While no significant differences could be identified across gender lines, older people and people with higher education were more likely to report having such concerns.
In 2023, close to half (46%) of people with less than a high school diploma reported being extremely or very concerned about misinformation online, compared with two-thirds (66%) of those with at least a bachelor's degree.
Additionally, just over two-thirds (68%) of Canadians aged 65 to 74 years were extremely or very concerned about misinformation online, compared with close to half (46%) of those aged 15 to 24 years.
Concern over misinformation online is associated with lower confidence in various institutions but not in the media.
Among Canadians who reported having high levels of concern over misinformation in 2023, half (50%) had high levels of confidence in the justice system. In comparison, this proportion was 59% for those who were somewhat concerned about misinformation and 64% for those with low levels of concern about misinformation.
At the same time, there is no evidence that concerns over misinformation online have an impact on trust in the media in general. Specifically, Canadians who reported having high levels of concern about misinformation were just as likely to trust the media as Canadians who expressed low levels of concern about misinformation.
Concern over misinformation online and fact-checking go hand in hand.
Individuals can use a variety of verification methods to address their concerns about misinformation. These can include using personal knowledge and talking with family and friends to assess the accuracy of information, as well as visiting fact-checking sites and verifying the information with other news sources.
In 2023, more than half (53%) of Canadians reported always or often using at least one additional source to verify the accuracy of news stories. Fact-checking was more common among people who said they were very or extremely concerned about misinformation online (69%) than among those who were somewhat concerned (22%) or not very or not at all concerned (10%).
Report from Statistics Canada.
This release uses data from the third panel of the Survey Series on People and their Communities (SSPC): Quality of Life, Source of Information and Trust. Additionally, this release used the SSPC Longitudinal Weights file to include data from the fourth and fifth panels of the SSPC: Sport, Workplace Culture, Political Engagement and Shared Values as well as Social Cohesion and Experiences with Discrimination. The Longitudinal Weights file was calculated for respondents who participated in all five panels of the SSPC.
In the SSPC, misinformation is defined as "news or information that is verifiably false or inaccurate. The sharer of misinformation may or may not be aware that it is misinformation. When they are aware, it is often referred to as disinformation."
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Inflation slowed in 2024, but Canadians continued to shift their grocery shopping habits
June 10, 2025, 11:00 a.m. (EDT)
Prices for food purchased from stores increased by almost one-tenth (+9.8%) in 2022, the largest annual increase since 1981 (+12.0%), amid broad-based inflation. This rate slowed in 2023 (+7.8%) and even more so in 2024 (+2.2%).
Still, prices for groceries have continued to take a bigger bite of Canadians’ budgets. In 2023, households spent on average 7.4% more on food purchased from stores than in 2021. Approximately one in four Canadians (25.5%) living in the provinces faced food insecurity in 2023.
For many, this meant not only changing consumption and purchasing habits, but also stretching one’s dollar by visiting different types of stores, according to analysis of retail data we conducted in 2023.
More specifically, the share of food sales at general merchandise retailers—including department stores, warehouse clubs, supercentres and others, such as dollar stores—rose from 21.6% in early 2021 to 25.9% in late 2022. However, food and beverage retailers, mostly grocery stores, still accounted for most sales.
With this backdrop, let’s break down some more recent data by store and product type to see where and how Canadians filled their shopping carts in 2023 and 2024.
Food and beverage sales account for nearly one-quarter of total retail spending in 2024.
First, the big picture: Canada-wide retail sales rose by $10.6 billion (+1.3%) from 2023 to $803.0 billion in 2024.
The drivers of this overall increase in 2024? Purchases of food from general merchandise retailers, which increased by $3.7 billion (+8.9%) to $45.3 billion, and from food and beverage retailers, which rose by $2.4 billion (+1.8%) to $137.0 billion.
So, while traditional grocery stores continue reporting the most food sales, Canadians are increasingly spending their dollars elsewhere, and, as the data show, patterns are emerging regarding which products are being purchased.
Fresh food sales at general merchandise retailers increase at triple the pace of those at food and beverage retailers.
Fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, eggs and dairy products, baked goods, and other perishables, continued to make up a higher proportion of sales among food and beverage retailers than general merchandise retailers from 2023 to 2024.
Over the same period, fresh food sales increased by $1.6 billion (+2.7%) to $62.2 billion for food and beverage retailers and by $1.6 billion (+8.0%) to $22.2 billion for general merchandise retailers.
Though sales for both retailer types increased by the same amount, the near-triple rate of increase among general merchandise retailers may suggest a consumer shift toward seeking better deals.
Prices for virtually all fresh foods rose in 2023, largely due to poor growing conditions, higher input and transportation costs and lingering COVID-19 pandemic-related supply chain issues. Though price increases slowed considerably in 2024, consumers may have continued to shop around more.
Pronounced shift in sales of packaged foods, dry goods and other similar products at general merchandise retailers.
Sales of frozen and packaged foods, dry goods and a range of other products also increased from 2023 to 2024. These sales rose by $729.8 million (+1.9%) to $39.0 billion at food and beverage retailers and by $1.7 billion (+9.2%) to $19.7 billion at general merchandise retailers.
The sales increase for these foods, when compared with that of fresh foods, could signal a more notable shift in shopping habits. General merchandise retailers have long competed with more traditional grocery stores for these types of products, offering similar layouts in the middle aisles and large freezer sections.
Inflation did continue to take a considerable bite out of many products in this category in both years, possibly reinforcing those habits.
Beverage sales fizzle at grocery stores.
Sales of soft drinks, other beverages (including alcohol) and ice have long represented a steady proportion of sales at food and beverage retailers. However, increases have largely gone flat; the $35.8 billion in sales in 2024 was little changed from 2023.
Over the same period, sales of those products increased 13.2% to $3.5 billion at general merchandise retailers, driven by soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages. This possibly reflects shifts in consumption habits and convenience rather than inflation, given their lower price range.
Overall alcohol sales declined from 2023 to 2024 among all retailers. Notably, provincial liquor authorities and other retail outlets recorded a decline in sales in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.
Shrinking share for health and personal care retailers.
Health and personal care retailers—mostly at drug stores, pharmacies and food (health) supplement stores—saw their food sales tick down by $261.9 million from 2023 to $2.7 billion in 2024.
In addition to the annual decline, sales in this category also showed a pattern of decline in each quarter of 2024 compared with the same quarter one year earlier in most product categories.
Retailers in this category are likelier to have higher price tags, smaller inventories and less selection compared with the larger-scale stores.
Ahead in the checkout lane for 2025: grocery prices trending upward.
On a year-over-year basis, prices for food purchased from stores were up in January (+1.9%), February (+2.8%), March (+3.2%) and April (+3.8). The uptick in January matched the headline inflation rate, which was then outpaced by grocery price increases in the next three months.
Retail data (product and retailer type) for the first quarter of 2025 will be released on July 8, 2025.
Stay tuned to StatsCAN Plus for an in-depth look at Canadian households’ food expenditures in 2023, using newly released data from the Survey of Household Spending.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland and world news stories that can affect Scotland and as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on search engines it becomes a good resource. I might also add that in a number of newspapers you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish which I do myself from time to time.
Here is what caught my eye this week...
Glasgow’s Industrial Revolution
Glasgow’s rise during the Industrial Revolution reshaped Britain. From shipbuilding on the Clyde to the impact of Irish migration, explore how the city became an industrial powerhouse. Uncover the origins of Celtic Football Club and the challenges of urban life in this historic documentary.
Watch this at:
https://youtu.be/VDISCxGNXT8?si=XUtaLSBaWxVxTI5J
The Race to Harness Quantum Computing's Mind-Bending Power | The Future With Hannah Fry
With the promise of unimaginable computing power, a global race for quantum supremacy is raging. Who will be first to harness this new technological force, and what will they do with it?
Watch this at:
https://youtu.be/1_gJp2uAjO0?si=J_19rjKOi-DGhqml
Campaigning, not governing
In recent days an avalanche of reports has shown the deterioration in a range of public services since then. This is scarcely surprising when we consider the nature of the governing party, the SNP.
Read more at:
https://thinkscotland.org/2025/06/ca...not-governing/
Scotland's six best restaurants named at prestigious National Restaurant Awards
Here are the top eateries in the country.
Read more at:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotla...named-35379739
Drones are taking over modern combat
While Ukraine is seeking to remove humans from the front line with a vast fleet of drones, the recent Strategic Defence Review recommends the UK have more soldiers, cadets and reservists. This is the wrong direction to take our Armed Forces in. Transforming this will be a slow process, but we may not have that much time.
Read more at:
https://capx.co/drones-are-taking-ov...-uk-isnt-ready
Happy birthday, Adam Smith
Three hundred and two years ago today, in 1723, in the Old Kirk in Kirkcaldy, a baby was baptised. The widowed Margaret Smith, from a local landowning family, gave her only child the name her husband had borne: Adam. She could never have known that this baby would go on to change the way we view economics forever.
Read more at:
https://www.cityam.com/happy-birthda...-fresh-at-302/
What happened to trust?
From supermarkets to train stations, everywhere we look, we can see trust declining in Britain. In any society, there are always incentives to cheat or free-ride. But once trust begins to break, it easily collapses. To prevent Britain continuing down this path, we need to re-examine our shared values and norms.
Read more at:
https://capx.co/whatever-happened-to-social-trust
Make Europe Great Again
By David Gow on June 18, 2025
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2025/06/make-europe-great-again/
China positions itself as a stable economic partner and alternative to ‘unpredictable’ Trump
Beijing is looking to increase its international role. Chinese leadership in international agencies affiliated with the UN has increased over the years, and so has its financial commitment to international institutions.
Read more at:
https://theconversation.com/china-po...e-trump-258443
University bosses quit after damning report into financial collapse
The principal of Dundee University and two senior members of its governing body have quit after a damning report into the financial collapse that led to a £22m government bailout.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjel3ng04q4o
Conrad Black: Let's make a bonfire of Canada's ghastly wokeness
It is irritating and distressing to see Canada robotically following the British and French and two other countries in imposing sanctions on two Israeli cabinet ministers over their comments related to the West Bank.
Read more at:
https://archive.is/Z6Xdo#selection-2223.96-2223.216
Does a civil service shake-up loom in the £1bn crackdown on public sector waste?
My late mother used to complain regularly over the family dinner about "waste" in the civil service - and now it's a big concerns for the Scottish Government.
Read more at:
https://archive.is/Jifye
Ford Dares to Say what no Politician has ever said
Indigenous people cant keep coming hat in hand to the government you have to be able to take care of yourselves... especially while they deny resource projects.
Watch this at:
https://x.com/Tablesalt13/status/1935687342318076122
How Iran’s grand strategy collapsed
Since 7 October 2023, the pillars of Iran's military doctrine have collapsed one by one, paving the way for Israel's lightning strike on the country's military facilities and the possible implosion of the Islamic Republic.
Read more at:
https://engelsbergideas.com/notebook...egy-collapsed/
Electric Canadian
Libyans in Canada
Added a page to explore Libyans in Canada
You can get to this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/history/libyans.htm
John MacDonell
Lieutenant-Colonel (pdf)
Learn about him at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/make...-MacDonell.pdf
Hebridean Connections
Learn more about their upcoming conference at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/pion...onnections.pdf
The Mohawk Language
By Oronhyatekha, of the Mohawk Nation (1876) (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...uage00oron.pdf
The Founding of Fort Severn
You can read this article at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...FortSevern.htm
Food first
How agriculture can lead a new era for Canadian exports (pdf)
You can read this article at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...Final-2025.pdf
Overview of Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector for 2023 (pdf)
You can read this report at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...ulture2023.pdf
To John MacDonald Esquire, President of The Highland Society of Canada
By Arch. John Macdonell, (Younger of Greenfield.), Greenfield, Glengarry, 22nd Jan., 1844 (pdf)
An interesting letter which you can read at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...nada_pages.pdf
Construction
A Journal for the Architectural, Engineering, and Contracting Interests of Canada. Added Volume 7 1914 (pdf) for you to read.
You can get to this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/maga...nstruction.htm
Highways of Canadian Literature
By John Daniel Logan and Donald G. French (1924) (pdf)
You can read this book at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...Literature.pdf
Diary of Clarence Ross
Killed at Vimy Ridge, France - April 9, 1917 (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/diary.pdf
73rd Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force of the Royal Highlanders of Canada Daily Orders Part II
This document contains a complete set of the Part II Daily Orders of the 73rd Canadian Infantry Battalion "Royal Highlanders". The unit was organized in Montreal, Quebec on August 15, 1915 and disbanded on September 15, 1920. The 73rd Infantry Battalion served with the 12th Brigade of the 4th Canadian Division in the Great War of 1914-1921, with extensive combat service in France and Flanders. The unit joined the 12th Brigade on August 13, 1916 and was withdrawn from the battle zone on August 14, 1917 after suffering heavy losses in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, specifically in the attack on "The Pimple". (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/73rdBnPIIDO.pdf
73rd Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force of the Royal Highlanders of Canada (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/bw.pdf
Thoughts on a Sunday Morning - the 15th day of June 2025 - Father's Day
By The Rev. Nola Crewe
You can watch this at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/foru...5-father-s-day
War Cuts & Clippings
A. C. Evans Scrapbook Volume XII from September 12, 1918 to December 12, 1918 (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/forces/scrapbook.pdf
The Beaver Magazine
Added No. 4 Outfit 257 Mar 1927 (pdf)
You can read this issue at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...rMarch1927.pdf
My Canadian Experience
Updated this months entry to reflect some developments.
You can read the updates at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/canada_add22.htm
Massey Ferguson: The Company That Fed the World
Unearth the gritty tale of Massey Ferguson - how a blacksmith’s crazy dream and a lucky coin toss ignited a farming revolution. From rusty workshops to roaring red tractors dominating fields worldwide, these machines didn’t just plow dirt - they saved harvests and fed billions. Ready to see how yesterday’s grit powers today’s food? Dive in now - this isn’t just a story, it’s the pulse of our planet!
You can watch this at:
https://youtu.be/4xmmH20CsMY?si=6dK9oYJiCbyoBft1
Dictionary of Glengarry Biography
A very good list of people in the area with biographies about them [external link]
You can get to this resource at:
http://glengarryhistoricalsociety.co....php?id=z1list
Electric Scotland
The story of the 1949-1953 revival on the Isle of Lewis. 2003
Added this video towards the foot of our Relgion page and you can get to it at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/index.htm
Surveying and Analysing Connections between Properties in Care and the British Empire, c.1600-1997
A research report that explores the extent and character of relationships between the properties in the care of the Scottish Ministers and the British Empire by Dr Stephen Mullen (Lecturer in History, University of Glasgow), Dr Andrew Mackillop (Senior Lecturer in Scottish History) and Professor Stephen Driscoll (Professor of Historical Archaeology) (pdf)
You can read this report at:
https://electricscotland.com/histori...ire-report.pdf
Hong Kong Hongs with Long Histories and British connections
By Dan Waters (1990) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...c24f687bbe.pdf
Making an Upland Farm Pay
The Glenlivet Experiment (1961) (pdf)
You can read this article at:
https://electricscotland.com/agricul...nlivitfarm.pdf
Genealogy of the O'Scanlon Family
Scanlan, Scanlon (1938) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclan...scan00scan.pdf
Genealogie of the Hayes of Tweedale
By Father Richard Augustin Hay (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclan...ye1835hayr.pdf
Bishop George Hay
Information about him and his works. Since the religious revolution of the sixteenth century, to no man has the Catholic Church in Scotland been so much indebted as to Bishop Hay. He is pre-eminently her bishop of the last three hundred years.
You can view our many findings about him at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/bishop-hay.htm
Scalan Seminary
A video about it and some additional information which you can view at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/scalan.htm
A guide to some MacLennan Places across Scotland
By Bruce A McLennan, first edition (2018) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclan...A-McLennan.pdf
The Cost of the British State
By Daniel Herring (2025) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/indepen...tish-State.pdf
We Spent 36 hours in Amsterdam
Added this video to our Netherlands page which you can watch at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...ands/index.htm
The Life of Sir William Quiller Orchardson
By Hilda Orchardson Gray (1930) (pdf)
You can learn about him at:
"https://electricscotland.com/art/Sir-William-Quiller-Orchardson.pdf
Scottish Sciences & Tech Lab Space Shortages
"Critical Bottlenecks" Threaten Innovations By Bill Magee & Cameron McGregor Bowes
You can read this article at:
https://electricscotland.com/magee/article0032.htm
Story
To John MacDonald Esquire, President of The Highland Society of Canada
By Arch. John Macdonell, (Younger of Greenfield.), Greenfield, Glengarry, 22nd Jan., 1844.
My dear Sir,
When circumstances have forced a people to abandon their native country, and seek the means of subsistence among foreigners, or in the Colonies of their own country, they carry with them as a matter of course, the feelings and the prejudices,— alike honorable—which they had imbibed at home; to perpetuate which in the land of their adoption, to instil into the minds of their children the same principles they themselves had been taught, to teach them to love above all others—above even that of their own nativity, the country from which stem necessity alone could have driven their fathers, and with which all those fathers nearest and dearest associations are connected, and to rivet the connection between their new country and their old, among other means Emigrants have invariably adopted the formation of National Societies. It cannot be otherwise than that these Societies must answer the end for which they are instituted, and arguing with the intention of proving it, would be supererogatory and useless.
With such objects in view did the Highlanders in London establish the Highland Society of London, with what great success is well known. That this venerable and distinguished Institution has mainly contributed to preserve in its purity, the Highland character, and has done more to promote the general welfare of the Highlands, than any other Association, is a general and well grounded opinion.
While the Highlanders of Canada remember with gratitude, that to the late lamented Bishop Macdonell, they owe the establishment of a Branch of that Society among them, they cannot forget that to you they are indebted for its re-organization after it had ceased operation for fifteen years.
The generous and patriotic motives that animated you in the work cannot be sufficiently appreciated; but I am sure that you feel yourself in some measure recompensed for all your trouble and anxiety, when you consider how much the Society has already done to promote the objects for which it was established and re-organized.
In order that those objects may be more generally and more clearly known and understood, I have, by permission, compiled an account of the Society, containing the speech of Mr. Simon MacGillivray to the gentlemen who took part in its formation, from which more can be learned of the History and purposes of the Parent Society, than from any remarks I could make; the Constitution and By-Laws, a list of the Members, and such other information, the publication of which, I thought, would in any way tend to serve the Society, or interest and gratify its Members.
I do not think it necessary to appeal to the feelings of our countrymen for a liberal support of the Institution; this has already been given, and to their credit be it spoken, that from Quebec to Amherstburg the utmost enthusiasm has been shown in support of this Society, which I hope and believe will be the instrument of preserving in Canada the recollection of the Highland name, and with it the chivalrous and devoted loyalty, and other noble qualities which made the ancient Highland character the first in the world. Should the national character be doomed to give way to the encroachments of modern innovations, you will have in an eminent degree, the satisfaction of knowing that you made an effort to save it.
As a Member of the Highland Society of Canada, I joined most heartily in the mark of grateful respect shewn by it to the memory of its venerated founder: and as such I desire to express my gratitude to its preserver, while as a private individual, I shew my repect for the Gentleman, by inscribing this small compilation to you.
I am, my dear Sir, Very truly yours, Arch. John Macdonell, (Younger of Greenfield.), Greenfield, Glengarry, 22d Jan, 1844.
You can read his account of the Highland Society of Canada at:
https://www.electriccanadian.com/his...nd_society.pdf
Macdonell, Archibald John
(1822-27 March 1864), lawyer. (A. J. Macdonell, Archibald John Macdonell (the younger of Greenfield); his Kingston office of recorder is often mentioned with his name as a distinction that particularly identified him) Born in Canada, possibly GC. Parents: Duncan Macdonell of Greenfield and his wife Harriet, who was the daughter of Archibald Macdonell of Leek.
Archibald John was active in the revival in the 1840s under the auspices of John Mcdonald of Garth of the Highland Society of Canada, originally founded in 1818. Macdonell was secretary and one of the directors of the revived society. He was the author of An Account of the Highland Society of Canada, a Branch of the Highland Society of London (Montreal, Armour and Ramsay, 1844). In this booklet, he gives his name as “arch. john macdonell, (Younger of Greenfield)” and states his address and time as “Greenfield, Glengarry, 22 January, 1844.” Greenfield, in this instance, must be presumed to be not the present Glengarry village of Greenfield, but his father’s farm, Lot 5 in the 9th Concession of Charlottenburgh. In 1857, he succeeded his father as lt.-col. of the 2nd Battalion Glengarry Militia, and he held this position till his death. At the time of this appointment, he was apparently also lt.-col. of the 5th Battalion of the Frontenac Militia.
Archibald John Macdonell was by 1854 the law partner of the future Sir John A. Macdonald, at Kingston, a position he held for the final decade of his life. He and Macdonald together got involved in investments which failed, with the result that after the death of Archibald John, the future Sir John A. was in grave financial difficulties. Archibald John held the office of recorder of Kingston. He was a director of the Commercial Bank of Canada, and also a solicitor to the bank.
He was married at Kingston on 12 Oct. 1848 to Mary Catherine Long Innes or Long-Innes, who like himself was a descendant of Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield, the 1792 emigration leader. Her father was a lieut. in the 37th Regiment, and was afterwards employed in the topographical surveys of Ireland conducted by the geologist and civil engineer Sir Richard John Griffith.
Archibald John Macdonell died in Philadelphia, at an age somewhat roundly stated as 40. He was buried in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kingston. The Daily British Whig (Kingston) published the following, copied here complete: “the late recorder.–All that was mortal of the much beloved and greatly lamented Archibald John Macdonell was deposited in the cold grave on Saturday. His Funeral was large, and he was followed to his last resting place by all the worth and respectability of the city, independent of the many who came from a distance to take part in the sad solemnity. A solemn Mass for the Dead was performed in the R. C. Cathedral, (to which the body was first conveyed,) and afterwards the Funeral Cortege, in carriages, proceeded to the new R. C. Cemetery, where all that remained of the best and kindest-hearted gentleman, that ever lived in Kingston, was left to await the sound of the last Trump; a sound that come when it may, will most assuredly call him to that reward which his honesty, his integrity, and his single-heartedness have most surely entitled him to expect.” In his will, made the day before he died, he named his law partner John A. Macdonald as one of his executors, but Macdonald excused himself from acting. In the will also he urged Macdonald to represent to the Trust and Loan Co. “that I have lost my life in their service.”
He was the father of John A. Macdonell of Greenfield, and of a daughter Georgina (Mrs Duncan A. Macdonald), both long-time residents of Alexandria, GC, and of another daughter Mary Elizabeth Macdonell, who never married, and was superintendent of nurses for some years at St. Mary’s Hospital, Brooklyn, NY.
His widow, who was present in Philadelphia when he signed his will, spent her last years in GC, dying in Alexandria on 21 Jan. 1881. The diarist Angus MacMillan recorded her death, “Mrs Archy John McDonell died in Alexandria.” She is buried at St. Raphael’s. Her obituary stated that it was the family intention to have her husband’s body removed soon to St. Raphael’s for reburial there. In his will, her son John A. in 1930 left the residue of his estate to the parish priest at St. Raphael’s, “for such purposes as he may decide in memory of my dear mother…and my beloved sister” Mary Elizabeth.
END.
Weekend is almost here and hope it's a good one for you.
Alastair