Hector Aeneas McKenzie
Hector McKenzie was the son of Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) clerk Charles McKenzie and Mary McKay, a Métisse. McKenzie joined the HBC in 1839 and rose to apprentice postmaster before leaving. He was rehired as a postmaster in 1847. In 1850, he was hired by Dr. John Rae as second-in-command of the Arctic Expedition, and subsequently fired for “carelessness and inattention.” He was then posted to Peels River Post [Fort McPherson] and LaPierre House as postmaster. Many Metis employees were not able to rise to higher positions in the company.1)