He served as president of the Labatt Brewing Company, and led the group that successfully lobbied for a Major League Baseball expansion team, the Toronto Blue Jays.

He resigned in 1980 to run for office in the federal elections as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

[2] One of his tasks as president was to secure a Major League Baseball franchise for the brewery and the city of Toronto.

He was part of the team that eventually brought the Toronto Blue Jays into existence in 1976, and was the club's founding director.

[3] McDougall is a brother of Pat Mella, who served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island from 1990 to 1996.