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Thomas Baker McQuesten 1882-1948

An influential proponent of landscape improvement programs, McQuesten was raised here and educated at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall. He joined a Hamilton law practice in 1909 and, eleven years later, was appointed to the city's Board of Parks Management. In this capacity and as Minister of Highways (1934-43) and Chairman of the Niagara Parks Commission (1934-44), McQuesten devoted himself to the development of parks and scenic parkways. He effectively combined attention to esthetics with engineering requirements in the design of bridges and roads, including the Queen Elizabeth Way, that were constructed under his charge. McQuesten also actively promoted numerous beautification projects, the park lands along the Niagara River and the Royal Botanical Gardens nearby, remaining today as the greatest legacies of his efforts.

Location

York Boulevard, at the layby a short distance from the Thomas B. McQuesten Level Bridge, Hamilton

Region: Southwestern Ontario

County/District: City of Hamilton (District)

Municipality: City of Hamilton

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