Canadian agricultural pioneer, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba and back-to-back Grand Champion steers at the International Live Stock Exposition.
1860-1935 | Artist: Othmar J. Hoffler (1893-1954)
Impact & Accomplishments
Born in present-day Ontario, seven years before Canada became a federal dominion of just four provinces, James Duncan McGregor is credited with helping to diversify agriculture in the newly-forming nation.
He was the first to cultivate alfalfa there, reducing the region’s dependency on wheat; he developed youth calf clubs; and he was a pioneer breeder of Aberdeen-Angus cattle in Canada.
In the 1890s, McGregor established Glencarnock stock farms in Manitoba and imported stock from Scotland several times over three decades. Glencarnock steers were acclaimed, and McGregor’s herd captured the supreme award in two consecutive years, 1912 and 1913.
After declining to serve as Manitoba’s Minister of Agriculture, he did lead the Food Control Board during World War I, and was appointed lieutenant governor of the province in 1929. He was also honored in the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Did You Know?
Glencarnock Victor I. Grand Champion Steer. Chicago International Live Stock Show 1913. Bred By J.D. Mcgregor. Brandon, Manitoba. Fed On Canadian Grains & Grasses. "Never Ate Corn" - A railroad promotional touting the opportunities of living in Western Canada ... irrigated lands insure profitable agriculture; irrigated land is sold at prices ranging from $35 - $75 per acre; limited to no taxation; numerous irrigation projects throughout Canada; information on various crops per acre in Canada vs. U.S. states; etc. Photo courtesy of Buckingham Books.
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