John McKinnon was a farmer, trader and political figure in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

, Canada. He represented Inverness County

Inverness (provincial electoral district)

Inverness is a provincial electoral district on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, that elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly....

 in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Nova Scotia House of Assembly

The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada...

 from 1874 to 1878 and from 1886 to 1894 as a Liberal

Liberal Party of Nova Scotia

The Liberal Party of Nova Scotia is a political party in Nova Scotia, Canada.-Origins:The party is descended from the pre-Confederation Reformers in Nova Scotia who coalesced around Joseph Howe demanding the institution of responsible government...

 member.

He was born in Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia

Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia

Whycocomagh is a small Canadian rural community in the province of Nova Scotia. The population in 2001 was 854 residents. It is located on the eastern edge of Inverness County in the central part of Cape Breton Island. The community sits on the northwestern shore of St. Patrick's Channel, an arm...

, the son of Laughlin McKinnon, a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 immigrant, and Annie McLean. He was educated in Halifax

City of Halifax

Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...

. McKinnon married Harriet McQueen. He served as a member of the province's Executive Council from 1875 to 1878. McKinnon ran for reelection unsuccessfully in 1878 and 1882.