John Hale was appointed to the Legislative Council of Lower Canada in 1808 and served as a member until the constitution was suspended in 1838.

Their father, Lieutenant General William Amherst, had fought for Britain in the Seven Years' War and had defeated French troops at the Battle of Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland.

From 1823 to 1828, he was secretary to his maternal uncle, Lord Amherst, who was the Governor of the Bengal Presidency in India.

[1][2] Hale and his wife settled on a property in the Sherbrooke area, on the Saint-François River in the Eastern Townships, around 1834.

Along with Alexander Tilloch Galt, also of Sherbrooke, Hale was involved in the establishment of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, linking Montreal to Portland, Maine.

The railway ran through the Eastern Townships and Hale was on the sub-committee planning the local route.

[1][2] In 1866, he was named chancellor for Bishop's College, a post previously held by his father-in-law, Judge Bowen.

Hale served as secretary to the colonel of the local Sherbrooke militia during the rebellion, but did not participate in any of the military engagements.

Hale was considered a leading local figure from Sherbrooke and was appointed to the Special Council in September 1839.

As a member of the Special Council, Hale voted in favour of the resolutions calling for the re-unification.

The leader of the French-Canadian Group, John Neilson, introduced a resolution condemning the way union had been imposed on Lower Canada.

He was diligent in his attendance and participation in the affairs of the Assembly, but found that his business interests suffered by his lengthy absences, first in Kingston, later in Montreal.

Hale was named to the Legislative Council of Quebec for the Wellington division, sitting as a Conservative.