James Austin

Who was James Austin?

James Austin was a prominent nineteenth century Toronto businessman.

He was born in Tandragee, County Armagh, Northern Ireland to a Methodist family. He immigrated to Canada at age sixteen along with his parents and became apprenticed to a printer. He spent ten years as a printer travelling through Canada and the United States and becoming involved in the Reformist movement of William Lyon Mackenzie.

Entering business he joined with Patrick Foy to found the Austin & Foy Wholesale Company at the corner of King and Jarvis in Toronto in the Daniel Brooke Building. He also was involved in the Consumers' Gas Company being one of its founding directors. The wholesale company was successful, but Austin was interested in pursuing other ventures and it was dissolved in 1870 leaving Austin with a fair amount of money.

He became a central player in the Toronto financial world. In 1871 he founded The Dominion Bank, ancestor of today's Toronto-Dominion Bank. He remained president of that institution until his death, but was also involved in many others.