John Duncan MacFarlane (July 27, 1892 – December 8, 1982) was a Scottish-born farmer and political figure in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

. He represented Melfort from 1934 to 1938 as a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

. He was born in

Gargunnock Gargunnock is a small village in the Stirling council area, west of Stirling, in Scotland. The census population was 912. It is situated on the south edge of the Carse of Stirling, at the foot of the Gargunnock Hills, part of the Campsie Fells ...

and was educated in Scotland. He later worked for a law office in

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

. In 1910, MacFarlane came to Canada, where he worked on farms and eventually earned his engineer's certificate. He graduated from the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

in agriculture. MacFarlane served with the

Royal Canadian Engineers The Canadian Military Engineers (CME; french: links=no, Génie militaire canadien) is the military engineering personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. The members of the branch that wear army uniform comprise the Corps of Royal Canadian Engi ...

and then with the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. After the war, he worked for the Soldier Settlement Board for three years. MacFarlane then settled on a farm near

Carlea, Saskatchewan Carlea is a former Canadian National Railway railway station and hamlet in northeastern Saskatchewan, Canada. The name Carlea was created from the first few letters of the names of two rivers that meet nearby, the Carrot and the Leather ...

, where he raised

Clydesdale horse The Clydesdale is a Scottish breed of draught horse. It is named for its area of origin, the Clydesdale or valley of the River Clyde, much of which is within the county of Lanarkshire. The origins of the breed lie in the eighteenth century, ...

Shorthorn The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late eighteenth century. The breed was developed as dual-purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however, certain blood lines within the breed always emp ...

cattle, Yorkshire pigs,

Shropshire sheep The Shropshire breed of domestic sheep originated from the hills of Shropshire, and North Staffordshire, England, during the 1840s. The breeders in the area used the local horned black-faced sheep and crossed them with a few breeds of white-faced ...

and Barred Rock chickens. He also served on the Alysham School Board. In 1920, he married Jean Gray. MacFarlane was defeated by Oakland Woods Valleau when he ran for reelection in 1938. He was a director for the

United Grain Growers The United Grain Growers, or UGG, was a Canadian grain farmers' cooperative for grain storage and distribution that operated between 1917 and 2001. History In 1917, the Grain Growers' Grain Company (GGGC) merged with the Alberta Farmers' Co ...

from 1947 to 1968 and was president of the Saskatchewan Registered Seed Growers plant at

Moose Jaw Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians ...

. From 1930 to 1933, he was president of the Saskatchewan Agricultural Societies Association. MacFarlane was named to the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1979.

References

Saskatchewan Liberal Party MLAs 1892 births 1982 deaths Military personnel from Stirling (council area) Royal Canadian Engineers soldiers University of Saskatchewan alumni Royal Flying Corps personnel Canadian military personnel of World War I {{Saskatchewan-politician-stub