Thomas Russ Deacon was a Canadian politician, the 24th Mayor of Winnipeg in 1913 and 1914.

Deacon was born in Perth

Perth, Ontario

Perth is a town in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada . It is located on the Tay River, 83 km southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County.-History:...

, Canada West. After working in Northern Ontario lumber camps, he returned to school, eventually graduating in 1891 with a civil engineering

Civil engineering

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...

 at the University of Toronto

University of Toronto

The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...

. After working on the water systems in North Bay, Ontario

North Bay, Ontario

North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...

 and on gold mining in Rat Portage, Deacon moved to Winnipeg in 1902 and by 1906 joined the city's council.

He campaigned for mayor on the basis of developing a new source of city water from Shoal Lake

Shoal Lake

Shoal Lake is a lake in extreme west of Ontario, Canada, northwest of Lake of the Woods. Depending on the water level of Lake of the Woods, Shoal Lake runs both into and out of Lake of the Woods and, for many practical purposes, is part of that lake....

in northwestern Ontario. This system was created during Deacon's terms as mayor.