The family, friends, and employees of Collingwood's MacLean Engineering founder have been reflecting on the global legacy he built in life as they said their goodbyes to him this month.
Don MacLean died on Jan. 11 in Meaford, and his celebration of life on Jan. 18 was standing room only as hundreds of people paid their respects to the work he did to build a global company that creates custom mining equipment, and a leader in the industry as a producer of battery-powered mining vehicles.
MacLean began his company by retrofitting farm tractors in a barn at a local apple orchard. Now the company makes massive vehicles and other products used in mining to improve safety and productivity.
Though MacLean churns out vehicles that are larger than life, Don MacLean's family say he was a down-to-earth person and easy to approach.
“He was very warm and humble. He connected with everyone on every level,” said Don's nephew, Stuart Lister, vice president of marketing and communications for MacLean Engineering. “He had a great, long life and left a huge legacy.”
Don was affectionately known as "ducky" when he worked underground, a nickname his father also owned, said Lister.
According to Don's nephew, about 500 people attended MacLean’s celebration of life, which took place at Georgian Bay Hotel on Jan. 18, with many more watching a livestream of the event from all over the world.
MacLean was 86 years old when he died, surrounded by family in Meaford, on Jan. 11.
MacLean grew up in Canadian mining towns and believed in the Canadian miner, and vowed to create a company that would be safer and more productive for miners and could compete with companies around the world, states a news release sent out by MacLean Engineering.
“We are all saddened. But I speak for all of us when I say that I am so blessed and proud to have spent almost 20 years working with my dad to build that vision,” wrote MacLean’s son and current CEO of MacLean Engineering Kevin MacLean in the release.
MacLean grew up in the northern Quebec mining towns of East Malartic, Noranda, and Chibougamau. He hunted and fished at a young age, built a shaft headframe with friends in the backyard, and worked at surface jobs at the mine until he was old enough to go underground.
He graduated from Acadia University in 1957 with a pre-engineering degree followed by two years at McGill University where he graduated with a degree in mining engineering in 1959.
While at university, he worked underground at various mines including a summer at a uranium mine in Yellowknife.
After graduating from McGill, MacLean worked underground as a shift boss for International Nickel at the Levack site. At this time, underground mining was beginning the transition from rail-based equipment to mobile equipment. This experience gave him many insights into the problems workers faced underground and how equipment might be developed to provide a safer working environment.
He moved into equipment sales in 1967 and worked at Ingersol Rand in Montreal before moving to Thornbury where he worked for JMG Engineering developing equipment for underground mining.
In 1973, Don struck out on his own to form MacLean Engineering. The company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, and has grown to over 1,200 employees on four continents.
The last decade at MacLean has seen the introduction and growth of electric vehicles for mining. According to the company website, MacLean has now sold and commissioned battery electric production support mining vehicles at sixteen mine sites across three continents, amassing some 250,000+ operating hours.
MacLean’s obituary noted donations to Hospice Georgian Triangle, the Collingwood Salvation Army or Living Better with Parkinson’s would be appreciated.
