John Alexander Macdonald was an immigrant to Canada. Born in Glasgow, Scotland on January 11, 1815, he came with his parents to Kingston, Ontario in 1820. He practiced law for a time, but found his true vocation when, at age 29, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly. He possessed force of personality, a glib tongue and was a vigorous fighter. By 1857, he was Premier of Upper Canada.
Sir John was one of the first to embrace the idea of forming a nation out of Britain's North American colonies. Being a practical politican, he used his diplomatic skills to forge the alliances necessary to make Confederation in 1867 possible. He was, without doubt, the foremost of the Fathers of Confederation.
The rest of his policital career was dominated by a vigorous effort to overcome regional differences and build a strong nation. He boldly purchased the west and won British Columbia over to Confederation. He was the driving force in the building of a transcontinental railway to tie the east to west. He pursued an economic policy which promoted development and trade within our nation.
Despite a personal life filled with difficulty and even tragedy, Sir John totally devoted himself to the building of Canada. The young politican of 1844 became the "Old Chieftan", and in June of 1891, he died in office. His legacy is our nation, Canada.
From the Mac Planner
DFS: 3 July 96