(29 May 1864-29 April 1945), businessman, political figure. (A. P. McNab, Archibald P. McNab, Archie McNab) Born on his parents’ farm on Lot 17 in the 9th Concession of Lochiel Township. Parents: Malcolm McNab, who was the brother of Archibald McNab the MP, and Malcolm’s second wife, Catherine (name also given as Margaret) McCrimmon, who was the daughter of Donald Ogg McCrimmon. Gaelic remained the sole language of the McNab household till the mother died when Archibald was about five years old. It appears that by the later years of his life, however, Archibald had largely lost his knowledge of the language. (Cadwell, 1, 30-31) Archibald attended primary school locally, and in his early years worked as a hired man for the McNabs’ neighbour Peter McIntosh, the father of J. E. McIntosh.

     With his twin brother Neil, Archibald Peter McNab left in the spring of 1882 for Winnipeg at the age of approximately 18. Archibald’s obituary noted that he went to Manitoba originally “looking for land that had fewer stones than the family farm.” The stoniness of GC land is mentioned a number of times in writings on McNab; probably he himself liked to joke on the subject. Nina J. Cadwell’s manuscript life of McNab gives a valuable portrait, applicable to many young Glengarrians seeking their fortunes at that time in the West, of the early stage of the brothers’ life in Manitoba. After a period of casual work (one of his employers being A. W. Ross), he and Neil homesteaded near Virden, Manitoba. This farming venture was unsuccessful; their father, visiting them from GC, is said to have declared that the sandy soil was worthless. From the late 1880s Archibald was in the grain business, first as a buyer for others, and then as a grain dealer and elevator owner on his own account. He was married in 1892 to Edith Todd. He settled in Saskatoon in 1906.

     McNab was a member of the Saskatchewan legislature from 1908 to 1926, being a member of the cabinet during virtually the whole of that period. He was successively municipal commissioner, minister of municipal affairs, minister of public works, and minister of public works and telephones. From 1926 to 1930, no longer a member of the legislature, he was a member of the Local Government Board. For the next six years, he was in retirement. He was lieutenant-governor of Saskatchewan from Sept. 1936 till Feb. 1945. During the royal tour of 1939, he was host to the King and Queen at a Government House dinner in Regina. (At Government House also, in 1942, he and his wife celebrated their golden wedding.) He died in a Regina hospital. Presbyterian. He was “survived by four sons, all of whom saw service in the first or second Great Wars,” and two daughters. His son Ernest McNab was a World War II air ace.

     McNab’s predecessor as lieutenant-governor of Saskatchewan was also a Glengarrian, Dr Hugh Edwin Munroe. McNab was a cabinet colleague of James G. Gardiner in the Saskatchewan government 1922-1926; then in 1926, during his last year in charge of public works, he was a member of Premier Gardiner’s cabinet; and he became lieutenant-governor of Saskatchewan the year after Gardiner ceased to be premier of the province. The Saskatchewan legislative buildings were built during his period as minister of public works. He gave a close personal supervision to their construction, and is said to have lived for a time in a tent on the building site in order to do so more effectively. These buildings must be considered to be, to some degree, his monument. Despite his dogged folksiness, which charmed so many of his contemporaries and is often commented on, he appears to have been a shrewd and faithful administrator of the public affairs. While friendly to all on a one-to-one basis, he was no friend whatsoever to ineptitude and nonsense. He played an important role, also, in establishing local government in Saskatchewan and Saskatoon people praised him for bringing their city the University of Saskatchewan.

     His brother Neil went to the Yukon in gold rush days, and built shacks for the miners at a price remembered as $100 each.

Prince Albert Daily Herald 1 May 1945 (“Hon. Archibald P. McNab, Colorful Pioneer, Passes”), North Battleford News 3 May 1945 (portrait), Glengarry News (QF) 4 May 1945 * sources on McNab family history as in notes to life of Archibald McNab, MP; the article by Donald S. Fraser has some good anecdotes about the lieutenant-governor and his brother Neil * information from Sask. Archives Board * Nina J. Cadwell, “From Log Cabin to Government House,” 33-page typescript life of McNab in holdings of Sask. Archives Board * Lottie Clarke Diggle, “Archie of Saskatchewan,” 11-page typescript popular biog. in holdings of Saskatchewan Archives Board * Chapter “Call Me Archie” on McNab in Grant MacEwan, Fifty Mighty Men (1958, &c.); includes line-drawn portrait by William W. Perehudoff * Parker (1911) 278 & (1912) 405 (with portrait) * Who’s Who in Canada, 1943-1944 * MDict * biog. sketch GHS, Sixth Annual Volume (1966-67) * discussed in John E. McIntosh’s Sandy Fraser cols., Farmer's Advocate 13 Aug. 1936 & 28 June 1945 * MacMaster 272-275 * Dan McCaffery, Air Aces (1990) 222; Hurtig, I, 270 * visits GC, GN 23 July 1937