James Young

Who was James Young?

James Young was an Ontario businessman, journalist and political figure. He represented Waterloo South in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal member from 1867 to 1878.

He was born in Galt in Upper Canada in 1835, the son of Scottish immigrants. He worked with a local newspaper and then bought several newspapers in the area in 1853 which he continued to publish until around 1863. He also wrote articles for other journals in the province. He became a partner in a wheel factory at Galt and also served on the town council. In 1867, he was elected to the 1st Canadian Parliament for Waterloo South; he was reelected in 1872 and 1874. In 1879, he was elected to represent Brant North in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He was appointed treasurer and commissioner of agriculture in 1883, but resigned these posts later that year due to ill health. He opposed reciprocity in trade with the United States and supported an elected Senate. After he retired from politics in 1886, he wrote a number of books dealing with Canadian history and politics, including Public men and public life in Canada, being recollections of parliament and the press, published in 1902. He died in Galt in 1913.