Sir Daniel Hunter McMillan, (January 14, 1846 – April 14, 1933) was a

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

politician. He was a cabinet minister in

Thomas Greenway Thomas Greenway (25 March 1838 – 30 October 1908) was a Canadian politician, merchant and farmer. He served as the seventh premier of Manitoba from 1888 to 1900. A Liberal, his ministry formally ended Manitoba's non-partisan government, al ...

's government from 1889 to 1900, and served as the seventh

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba The lieutenant governor of Manitoba (, (if male) or (if female) ) is the representative in Manitoba of the monarch, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada. The lieuten ...

from 1900 to 1911.

Biography

McMillan was born in

Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy. From the Middle Ages, Whitby ...

Canada West The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...

(now

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

), and was educated there and at Collingwood. His initial career goal was to be a professional soldier. He saw active service on the Niagara frontier in 1864, and was an officer with the 19th Lincoln Battalion of Infantry involved in repelling the Fenian raids of 1866. In 1870, he served in the expedition of Col. Wolseley which ended the

Red River Rebellion The Red River Rebellion (), also known as the Red River Resistance, Red River uprising, or First Riel Rebellion, was the sequence of events that led up to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by Métis leader Louis Riel and his f ...

. Staying in Manitoba, McMillan would be one of the founding officers of the 90th Winnipeg Battalion of Rifles in 1883. When the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (), was an armed rebellion of Métis under Louis Riel and an associated uprising of Cree and Assiniboine mostly in the District of Saskatchewan, against the Government of Canada, Canadian government. Important events i ...

broke out in 1885, McMillan became a Major with the newly formed 95th Battalion of Infantry (Manitoba Grenadiers) and later was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on June 17, 1887. In 1904, McMillan would be appointed Colonel of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons. McMillan settled in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

following the Wolseley expedition, and became a successful businessman within the city. He established a milling and grain business in Winnipeg in 1874, and oversaw the first shipment of western Canadian wheat to

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

shortly thereafter. He also served as the first president of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange for one year (1887–1888), served too as a Director and later Vice-President of the Great-West Life Assurance Company. McMillan became politically active during this period. In 1879, he ran for the

Manitoba legislature The Manitoba Legislature is the legislature of the province of Manitoba, Canada. Today, the legislature is made of two elements: the lieutenant governor of Manitoba, lieutenant governor (representing the King of Canada) and the unicameral assemb ...

in the riding of

against Thomas Scott, the leader of the opposition to

John Norquay John Norquay (May 8, 1841 – July 5, 1889) was the fifth premier of Manitoba from 1878 to 1887. He was born near St. Andrews in what was then the Red River Colony, making him the first premier of Manitoba to have been born in the region ...

's government. Norquay was supported by both Liberals and

Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

at the time, and McMillan was a prominent member of the Winnipeg Liberal community. Despite strong backing from the '' Manitoba Free Press'', however, he lost to Scott by 387 votes to 321. The 1879 election was unusual even by the standards of early Manitoba politics, in that both Norquay and Scott claimed the support of a majority of elected members after the results were announced. Eventually, Norquay consolidated his hold over the government and Scott departed for federal politics. On December 4, 1880, McMillan was elected for Winnipeg in a by-election, defeating Alexander Logan. Norquay would gradually break his ties with the Winnipeg Liberals over the next two years, and forged an alliance with the province's Conservative establishment in 1882. It may be assumed that McMillan had crossed into the opposition by this time. He was never a cabinet minister under Norquay, and did not run for re-election in 1883.

's Liberals were called to form a government in January 1888, and won a landslide majority in a general election held later in the year. McMillan was returned to parliament for the riding of

Winnipeg Centre Winnipeg Centre () is a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1917 to 1925 and since 1997. History This riding was originally created in 1 ...

in this election, defeating Conservative Thomas Gilroy by 972 votes to 470. He was not immediately called into Greenway's cabinet, but was named Provincial Treasurer on May 7, 1889. He held this position for the remainder of Greenway's time as Premier, and was given the additional portfolio of Provincial Lands Commissioner on October 7, 1896. He had no difficulty being re-elected in 1892, and won unopposed in 1896. Greenway's Liberals were defeated by the Conservatives under

Hugh John Macdonald Sir Hugh John Macdonald, (March 13, 1850 – March 29, 1929) was the only surviving son of the first prime minister of Canada, John A. Macdonald. He too was a politician, serving as a member of the House of Commons of Canada and a federal cabi ...

in 1899, although McMillan retained his seat over Conservative A.J. Andrews by 1364 votes to 1249. On October 9, 1900, he was appointed as the Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba by Canadian Prime Minister

Wilfrid Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier (November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and Liberal politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadians, French ...

. The post was mostly ceremonial by this time, and McMillan had little practical influence over the governments of Macdonald and

Rodmond Roblin Sir Rodmond Palen Roblin (February 15, 1853 – February 16, 1937) was a businessman and politician in Manitoba, Canada. Early life and career Roblin was born in Sophiasburgh, in Prince Edward County, Canada West (later Ontario). The Robl ...

. He was knighted in 1902 and stepped down from the Lt. Governor's position in 1911.

Notes

External links

Manitoba Historical Society profile

at the ''

Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online The ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'' (''DCB''; ) is a dictionary of biographical entries for individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada. The ''DCB'', which was initiated in 1959, is a collaboration between the University of Toro ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:McMillan, Daniel Hunter 1846 births 1933 deaths Canadian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Lieutenant governors of Manitoba Canadian Militia officers Lincoln and Welland Regiment Royal Winnipeg Rifles officers 12th Manitoba Dragoons People from Whitby, Ontario Members of the Executive Council of Manitoba Ministers of finance of Manitoba