Donald Gordon

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Donald Gordon, banker, business executive (b at Old Meldrum, Scot 11 Dec 1901; d at Montréal 2 May 1969). Gordon left Scotland when young and joined the Bank of Nova Scotia, working up through the ranks while attending night school. He was rewarded with promotions to head office and eventually to the Toronto branch. In 1935 he was recruited as secretary of the new Bank of Canada and in 1938 became deputy governor. When war broke out Gordon was assigned to the Foreign Exchange Control Board and in 1941 was made chairman of the WARTIME PRICES AND TRADE BOARD, a job at which he was highly successful.

In 1947 he returned to the Bank of Canada, leaving again in 1950 to become president and chairman of the CNR. Gordon presided over a difficult period of labour troubles, a declining share of passenger traffic, the expense of modernization and demands to appoint more French Canadians to senior management. He claimed that he had done all that he could with what was available and in response was burned in effigy in Montréal. Gordon retired in 1967 to become president of Brinco and chairman of the CHURCHILL FALLS power project.

Author ROBERT BOTHWELL


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