Maclean's magazine will be 100 years old in October, and it has a Presbyterian to thank for its name. Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean was the son of a Presbyterian minister who emigrated from Scotland and settled in Crieff, Ont. Born in 1862, Maclean launched his first publication, Canadian Grocer, 25 years later. Other titles under his belt included the Financial Post and Chatelaine. It was the creation of Maclean's magazine — originally titled the Busy Man's Magazine — in 1905 that launched the media empire Maclean-Hunter Ltd. The company, now owned by Rogers Media, includes 120 Canadian periodicals and has expanded into radio, television and book publishing.
Opinionated and outspoken, the man known as The Colonel was chauffeured to work in a Rolls-Royce. Despite his riches, he never forgot his Presbyterian roots, giving 250 acres of land to the church. Crieff Hills Christian Retreat and Conference Centre is the result of that gift. Maclean died in 1950, a day short of his 88th birthday. – AM
