Background
Born at the Settlement of River Deny"s Road, Inverness, Nova Scotia, the son of Mary McDonald and Allan McDonald, who emigrated from South Uist, Scotland, McDonald was educated at Saint Francois Xavier College, Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Born at the Settlement of River Deny"s Road, Inverness, Nova Scotia, the son of Mary McDonald and Allan McDonald, who emigrated from South Uist, Scotland, McDonald was educated at Saint Francois Xavier College, Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
A merchant, he was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons for Cape Breton in the 1872 federal election. A Conservative, he was re-elected in 1874, 1878, and 1882. In 1884, he was called to the Senate on the advice of John Alexander Macdonald representing the senatorial division of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
The intersection of Main, Union and Commercial streets in downtown Glace Bay is named "Senator"s Corner" in his honour.
He served for almost 44 years as a member of parliament and senator until his death in 1916.