Donald MacInnes

Who was Donald MacInnes?

Donald MacInnes, born Donald McInnes, was a Canadian businessman and politician.

Born in Oban, Scotland, the son of Duncan McInnes and Johanna Stuart, McInnes’s family emigrated to Upper Canada in 1840 and settled in Ontario. He was married on April 30, 1863 to Mary Amelia Robinson, they had five sons and a daughter. MacInnes was for several years one of the leading merchants in Canada. He was President of the Bank of Hamilton and a Director of the Canada Life Assurance Co. He was Chairman of the Royal Commission appointed June 16, 1880 to inquire into the organization of the Civil Service of Canada. He was called to the Senate on the advice of John Alexander Macdonald representing the senatorial division of Burlington, Ontario on December 24, 1881. A Liberal-Conservative, he served for almost 19 years until his death in 1900. He married Mary Amelia Robinson, daughter of Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet, of Toronto, and they were the parents of Duncan Sayre MacInnes.