William Beatty

Who was William Beatty?

William Beatty was an Ontario businessman and political figure.

He was born in Stonyford, Ireland in 1835 and came to Thorold in Upper Canada with his family the same year. He attended Victoria College in Cobourg, receiving an LLB in 1864. He was elected to the university's senate in the following year. He also worked with his father and brother in the timber trade. Their company operated a sawmill on the Seguin River at Parry Sound, primarily managed by William, and a steamship service between Collingwood, Parry Sound and Port Arthur/Fort William, mainly operated by his brother James Hughes. The firm set up a town at Parry Sound and William also served as a lay Methodist minister for the community.

In 1867, he was unsuccessful in a bid to represent Algoma in the Canadian House of Commons, losing by 9 votes; he was elected to represent Welland provincially later that same year. He was not reelected in the next general election in 1871. Later that year, the operation in Parry Sound was sold and Beatty settled there. He bought out his brother and father's share in the town site and set up a general store there. With Beatty's support, a vote was taken to keep the township free of alcohol under the terms of the Dunkin Act. Up until 1950, anyone who bought land in the town had to sign an agreement not to sell alcohol on their premises.