James Alexander Paton (July 25, 1884 – February 19, 1946) was a newspaper owner and political figure in British Columbia.
He was born in Beamsville, Ontario and, in 1903, travelled west to Alberta, where he worked on a cattle ranch and as a night clerk in the Calgary post office.
Paton also operated a store where he sold books and stationery and other assorted goods and offered printing, publishing and bookbinding services.
He sold the newspaper at the beginning of World War I and enlisted in the 72nd Battalion of the Canadian Infantry, serving in Belgium and France.
During World War II, Paton supported the movement of Japanese-Canadians into the province's interior; he also opposed giving them the right to vote.