John Archibald McDonald (February 25, 1851 – February 17, 1925) was a lawyer 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 Victoria

Victoria (Nova Scotia electoral district)

Victoria was a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867. It consisted of the County of Victoria...

 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 1887 to 1896 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...

, then Liberal

Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

 and finally Conservative member.

He was born in North East Margaree, Nova Scotia, the son of Laughlin McDonald, 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. He was educated at the Horton Academy and then Acadia College

Acadia University

Acadia University is a predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level...

. McDonald was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 1877. In 1885, he married Katie Jeannette Hume. He represented Victoria County 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 1882 to 1886 as a Conservative. McDonald was also a trustee for the Baddeck Academy

Baddeck Academy

Baddeck Academy is a Primary through Grade 12 school located in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Cape Breton Island in Victoria County. It is governed by the Cape Breton – Victoria Regional School Board...

and municipal clerk for Victoria. His election to the House of Commons in 1887 was declared void and he was elected as a Liberal later that year. McDonald was elected as a Conservative in the 1891 general election. That election was declared void but he was elected again in the subsequent by-election.