John MacDonald of Garth | |
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| Born | 1771 Garth, near Callander, Perthshire |
| Died | January 25, 1866 (aged 94–95) |
John MacDonald of Garth (1771 – 25 January 1866) was a colourful character involved in the Canadian fur trade. He was an enthusiastic duellist and a shrewd businessman who became a partner in the North West Company and a member of the Beaver Club at Montreal, Lower Canada. In an account of his exploits, he was described as having "indomitable courage... brave, reckless and domineering, with a decided tendency to seek redress with his own hands," characteristics that made him well-suited to his profession.[1] Built in 1816, his home, Inverarden House, near Cornwall, Upper Canada, was later designated a National Historic Site of Canada.[2] According to the 1997 book Lords of the North, by James McDonell and Robert Campbell, the Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton, Alberta was named for him.
- ^ Montreal Gazette (1937) – Exploits of John MacDonald of Garth
- ^ Parks Canada, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (1978). Manuscript Report Number 245, Inverarden: Retirement Home of Fur Trader John McDonald of Garth. National Historic Parks and Sites Branch.