Edmund Mortimer McDonald (September 29, 1825 – May 25, 1874) was a Nova Scotia journalist, publisher and political figure. He represented Lunenburg in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

as an

Anti-Confederate ''Anti-Confederation'' was the name used in what is now the Maritimes by several parties opposed to Canadian Confederation. The Anti-Confederation parties were accordingly opposed by the Confederation Party, that is, the Conservative and Liberal- ...

and then a Liberal-Conservative from 1868 to 1872.

Early life

He was born in

West River, Nova Scotia West River is a community in the Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Pictou County . It was formerly served by the Hopewell Subdivision of Canadian National Railway, which had a station in West Ri ...

in 1825.

Before politics

He worked as a journalist with Joseph Howe on the ''

Novascotian The ''Novascotian'' was a newspaper published in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It became one of the most influential voices in the British North American colonies in its nearly one century of existence. The paper was founded as the ''Nova Scoti ...

'' during the 1840s. In 1847, he became the owner of the ''Eastern Chronicle'' at New Glasgow. He served as Queen's Printer for Nova Scotia from 1860 to 1863. In 1863, he founded the ''Halifax Citizen'' with

William Garvie William Garvie (1837 – December 15, 1872) was a lawyer, journalist and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Halifax County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly as a Liberal from 1871 to 1872. He was born in the West Indi ...

; the paper favoured a maritime union but opposed Confederation. McDonald and Garvie also helped found the Anti-confederation League, which had the same aims.

Political career

In 1867, he was elected to the House of Commons and lobbied for the removal of Nova Scotia from the union and for repealing of the British North America Act for Nova Scotia. When Howe was able to negotiate better terms for the province in 1869, McDonald threw his support behind Sir John A. Macdonald.

Later life and death

In 1872, he was named customs inspector for the port of Halifax. He died at Halifax in 1874.

References

* * 1825 births 1874 deaths Anti-Confederation Party MPs Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Nova Scotia Canadian newspaper journalists 19th-century Canadian journalists Canadian male journalists 19th-century Canadian male writers {{NovaScotia-politician-stub