James Playfair (businessman)

James Playfair
Born8 July 1860
Died25 May 1937(1937-05-25) (aged 76)
OccupationBusinessman
Known forGreat Lakes shipping; Midland businessman
SpouseCharlotte Ogilivie

James Playfair (8 July 1860 – 25 May 1937) was noted for his entrepreneurship in the Great Lakes shipping, lumbering, grain handling, and industrial manufacturing businesses. He was a central figure in the establishment of Midland, Ontario, Canada. The son of John Speirs Playfair (26 June 1826, Glasgow – 2 June 1913, Toronto) and Georgina Hall of Montreal, in 1889 Playfair married Sarah Charlotte Ogilvie (1858-1945), youngest daughter of Senator A.W. Ogilvie of Montreal, former president of Ogilvie Flour Mills.