John J. McKinnon 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 Antigonish 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 1874 to 1877 as an independent member.

He was born at Williams Point, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia

Antigonish County, Nova Scotia

Antigonish County, Nova Scotia is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located in northern Nova Scotia on the Northumberland Strait and its county seat is the town of Antigonish.-History:...

, the son of John McKinnon

John McKinnon (Nova Scotia politician)

John McKinnon was a political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Sydney County and later Antigonish County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1850 to 1867....

, a former member of the assembly and member of the Legislative Council, and Jeannet Chisholm. He was educated at St. Francis Xavier College. McKinnon was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 1872. In 1874, he married Christina McDonald. McKinnon resigned his seat in the assembly in 1877. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the House of Commons in 1878. McKinnon died in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the age of 36.