Douglas MacDonald was a farmer, miner 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 Cape Breton Centre

Cape Breton Centre

Cape Breton Centre is a provincial electoral district in Cape Breton, 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 1939 to 1945 as a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

Nova Scotia New Democratic Party

The Nova Scotia New Democratic Party is a social-democratic provincial party in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is aligned with the federal New Democratic Party . Originally founded as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in 1932, it became the New Democratic Party in 1961. It became the governing...

 member.

He was born in Georgetown, Prince Edward Island

Georgetown, Prince Edward Island

Georgetown is a Canadian town and the county seat of Kings County, Prince Edward Island. As of 2011, the population was 693.-Geography:Georgetown, Capital of Kings County, sits on an 8 kilometre long peninsula formed by the Cardigan and Brudenell Rivers, Along with Georgetown Harbour...

, the son of Archibald MacDonald and Annie MacKinnon. MacDonald married Lillian McLellan. He served in the artillery during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. He was president of the local chapter of the United Mine Workers of America. MacDonald won the first seat for the CCF in the Nova Scotia legislature in 1939; he was elected in a by-election held after Michael Dwyer

Michael Dwyer (politician)

Michael Dwyer was a businessman and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Cape Breton Centre in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1933 to 1939 as a Liberal member....

resigned his seat.