James Duncan McGregor
Encyclopedia
James Duncan McGregor was a Canadian
agricultural pioneer and office holder. He served as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
between 1929 and 1934.
McGregor was born in Amherstburg
, Canada West (now Ontario
), and was educated at public schools in Windsor
. He did not attend college. He moved to Manitoba in 1877, and worked in his father's cattle business in Brandon
.
McGregor was one of several pioneers to the Yukon
following the Klondike Gold Rush
of 1896, and served as Mine Inspector of the Yukon Territory from 1897 to 1899. He subsequently bought a ranch near Medicine Hat
(now in Alberta
), and owned 200,000 acres (800 km²) with 10,000 head of cattle and 2,000 horses. For ten years, McGregor also managed the British-owned Canada Land and Irrigation Company and helped build reservoirs and canal systems near Milo, in Vulcan County, Alberta
. McGregor Lake
, a 40 kilometres-long irrigation reservoir in the Oldman River drainage basin, was named for McGregor.
McGregor gained international fame for his pioneering efforts in stock breeding. He was the first farmer to cultivate alfalfa in the western provinces, thereby reducing the region's dependency on the wheat market. He also founded the Glencarnock stock farms of western Canada, and won a number of international livestock prizes.
McGregor never actually ran for public office, despite repeated entreaties. In 1915, he declined an appointment as Minister of Agriculture in Manitoba. Two years later, he was apponted wartime leader of the Food Control Board in the western provinces, holding the position for a year.
When Theodore Arthur Burrows
died in 1929, McGregor was called to succeed him as Manitoba's Lieutenant-Governor (a largely ceremonial position, though McGregor was significant in being the first non-politician to be so appointed). He held this position for five years, and died shortly thereafter.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
agricultural pioneer and office holder. He served as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
The Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba is the viceregal representative in Manitoba of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
between 1929 and 1934.
McGregor was born in Amherstburg
Amherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg is a Canadian town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario. It is approximately south of the U.S...
, Canada West (now Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
), and was educated at public schools in Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
. He did not attend college. He moved to Manitoba in 1877, and worked in his father's cattle business in Brandon
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
.
McGregor was one of several pioneers to the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
following the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
of 1896, and served as Mine Inspector of the Yukon Territory from 1897 to 1899. He subsequently bought a ranch near Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat, Alberta
Medicine Hat, known to locals as "The Hat", is a city of 61,097 people located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is enclaved within Cypress County along with the nearby Town of Redcliff, although neither is part of the county....
(now in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
), and owned 200,000 acres (800 km²) with 10,000 head of cattle and 2,000 horses. For ten years, McGregor also managed the British-owned Canada Land and Irrigation Company and helped build reservoirs and canal systems near Milo, in Vulcan County, Alberta
Vulcan County, Alberta
Vulcan County is a municipal district in Alberta, Canada.It is located in Census Division 6. The current boundaries of the municipality were set in 1951...
. McGregor Lake
McGregor Lake
McGregor Lake is an elongated reservoir in Southern Alberta. McGregor Lake was created in 1920 by the completion of two dams bracketing Snake Lake in Snake Valley...
, a 40 kilometres-long irrigation reservoir in the Oldman River drainage basin, was named for McGregor.
McGregor gained international fame for his pioneering efforts in stock breeding. He was the first farmer to cultivate alfalfa in the western provinces, thereby reducing the region's dependency on the wheat market. He also founded the Glencarnock stock farms of western Canada, and won a number of international livestock prizes.
McGregor never actually ran for public office, despite repeated entreaties. In 1915, he declined an appointment as Minister of Agriculture in Manitoba. Two years later, he was apponted wartime leader of the Food Control Board in the western provinces, holding the position for a year.
When Theodore Arthur Burrows
Theodore Arthur Burrows
Theodore Arthur Burrows was a politician and office-holder in Manitoba, Canada. He served as the tenth Lieutenant Governor of the province from October 6, 1926 until his death....
died in 1929, McGregor was called to succeed him as Manitoba's Lieutenant-Governor (a largely ceremonial position, though McGregor was significant in being the first non-politician to be so appointed). He held this position for five years, and died shortly thereafter.