John Macdonald

John Macdonald

John Macdonald, merchant, churchman, philanthropist, politician (b at Perth, Scot 27 Dec 1824; d at Toronto 4 Feb 1890). Macdonald accompanied his officer father to NS in 1838. Educated at Dalhousie and Bay Street Academy (Toronto), he worked in Gananoque, Toronto and Jamaica and in 1849 opened a dry-goods business in Toronto. Within a decade his firm, John Macdonald and Co, became the largest wholesaler in Canada.

He was elected to Parliament as an independent Liberal in 1863 and 1875; Prime Minister John A. MACDONALD appointed him to the Senate in 1887 for his periodic support of Tory legislation and for his strong opposition to commercial union with the US. A devout Methodist and a strict employer, Macdonald was the author of Business Success, a manual that exemplified his commitment to Christian morality in business life.