Fonds F2507 - John McDonald fonds

The Hon. John McDonald of Gananoque, M.L.C., was a son of John McDonald and Emily Cameron of Blair Athol, Perthshire, and was born at, or near, Saratoga, New York, in February of 1787 shortly after the family's arrival in America. He commenced business as a merchant in Troy, New York, but in 1817 removed to Gananoque where his brother Charles had previously opened a store and built the first saw mill and grist mill in the settlement. In business with his brother, under the name of C & J McDonald, the firm engaged in an extensive lumber trade and in 1826 erected the largest flour mill in the province.
John McDonald was appointed a member of the Legislative Council of Upper canada in February 1839 and during the important deates of that year supported the proposal to unite the two provinces. After Union he was again appointed a member of the Council but was unseated in March 1848 because of non-attendance during two successive sessions of Parliament.
McDonald took a leading part in an important canal-building enterprise in the 1830's and 1840's. He was appointed to the Board of Commissioners for the Improvement of the Navigation of the River St. Lawrence in May 1836 and became President of the Board two years later. In that capacity he presided over the complettion of the Cornwall Canal and building the four Williamsburg Canals.
McDonald held at various time the offices of Magistrate, School Superintendent and Postmaster for the town of Gananoque.
In 1831 McDonald married Henrietta Maria Mallory and had at least two sons and two daughters. He died at Gananoque in September 1860.