James McKay was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

, Canada. He represented Prince Albert

Prince Albert (electoral district)

Prince Albert is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1908 to 1988, and since 1997.-Geography:...

 in the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

 from 1911 to 1914 as a Conservative

Conservative Party of Canada (historical)

The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...

.

He was born in Fort Ellice

Ellice, Manitoba

Ellice is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. It was named after Edward Ellice, Sr., British merchant and politician. The separately administered village of St-Lazare lies near the municipality's centre. In its northwestern section is a part of the Gambler 63 First...

, Manitoba

Manitoba

Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...

, the son of William McKay and Mary Cook, and was educated there, in Westbourne

Westbourne, Manitoba

Westbourne is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. The separately administered town of Gladstone lies within its borders.-External links:*...

 and at the University of Manitoba

University of Manitoba

The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...

. McKay articled in law and was called to the Manitoba bar in 1886. While a law student, he served in the militia during the North-West Rebellion

North-West Rebellion

The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...

. McKay practised law in Winnipeg

Winnipeg

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

 and, after 1887, in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan...

. He was a crown prosecutor from 1888 to 1897. In 1891, he was named King's Counsel. He married Florence Annie Reid in 1900.

McKay was an unsuccessful candidate for the Saskatchewan (Provisional District)

Saskatchewan (Provisional District)

The Provisional District of Saskatchewan was a federal electoral district in Northwest Territories, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1887 to 1905....

 seat in the House of Commons in 1896, losing to Wilfrid Laurier

Wilfrid Laurier

Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....

, and also ran unsuccessfully in Prince Albert in 1908 before taking the seat in the 1911 federal election

Canadian federal election, 1911

The Canadian federal election of 1911 was held on September 21 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Canada.-Summary:...

. McKay resigned his seat in the House of Commons in 1914 after he was named to the Supreme Court of Saskatchewan. In 1918, he was named to the Court of King's Bench

Court of Queen's Bench for Saskatchewan

The Court of Queen's Bench of Saskatchewan is the superior trial court for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The Court hears civil and criminal law cases. It is a court of inherent jurisdiction and there is no monetary limit on the claims which it may hear. It also has original jurisdiction...

 and, in 1921, to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan

Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan

The Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan is the highest superior appeal court in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. It hears appeals from the Court of Queen's Bench for Saskatchewan as well as the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan and administrative tribunals...

. McKay also served on the board of governors for the University of Saskatchewan

University of Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...

.