Samuel Hanford McKee was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and received his B.A. from the University of New Brunswick in 1896. He graduated M.D., C.M. from McGill in 1900. McKee’s special interest was ophthalmology and he was awarded the C.M.G. for distinguished service in the field during the First World War. Until he resigned in 1943, he was Clinical Professor in Ophthalmology at McGill from 1928, Director of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Montreal General Hospital from 1931, and Chairman of the Hospital’s Medical Board from 1938.

A native of Dundas, Ontario, David W. McKechnie obtained his M.D., C.M. from McGill University in 1903.

James Charles McKeagney was born in 1815 in Tyrone County, Ireland.

He was a lawyer, politician, and judge. His family moved to Nova Scotia in 1822. He was educated in Baddeck, Cape Breton Island, and at McQueen’s Academy, Halifax. He was called to the bar of Nova Scotia in 1838 and appointed a Q.C. in 1866. He was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for Richmond County in 1840 but his election was overturned on a technicality. McKeagney represented Inverness County from 1843 to 1847 and then Sydney Township from 1848 to 1851 and again from 1855 to 1859. In 1857, he was named inspector of mines and minerals. In 1867, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the Nova Scotia riding of Cape Breton as a member of the Anti-Confederation Party. He was defeated in 1872. In 1872, he was appointed a puisne judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba serving from 1873 to 1874. In 1876, he became acting lieutenant governor of Manitoba and the North-West Territories.

In 1842, he married Eliza Henry (-1851) and in 1857, he married Eliza Hearne. He died on September 14, 1879, in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.

Smith McKay was born on March 21, 1817, in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

He was a merchant, sealing captain, mineralogist, and politician. He arrived in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1844, and in 1850, he became a partner in McKay & McKenzie, a fishery supply and export business. In 1852, they sent vessels to the seal-fishery and in 1853, McKay acted as master of the sealing vessel Clara and captain of the schooner Snipe which brought back oil from humpback whales. The partnership of McKay and McKenzie dissolved and Daniel J. Henderson became McKay’s new partner in 1855, becoming McKay & Henderson. McKay became interested in mineral exploration. In 1857, he conducted a survey on the northwest shore of Notre Dame Bay and discovered copper at Tilt Cove, the first considerable discovery in Newfoundland. In 1864, he formed a partnership with Charles James Fox Bennett under the name Union Copper Mine. McKay was the manager of the mine and was also involved in other mining ventures. By 1880, Newfoundland had become the 6th largest copper producer in the world. By 1877 trouble began to develop between McKay and Bennett in connection with the operation of the mine at Tilt Cove which resulted in Bennet buying all McKay's mine interests. In 1883, McKay was appointed to the politically sensitive position of chairman of the Board of Works.

In 1869, he married Susan Locke (1846–1890). He died on December 8, 1889, in St. John’s, Newfoundland.