He was born in Toronto to an Irish Protestant family (his grandfather came from County Antrim) and was a committed Orangeman.

He returned to the mayor's office in the 1936 election defeating incumbent James Simpson and former alderman Harry W. Hunt.

Among his accomplishments are helping to create the Toronto Transit Commission, building the Coliseum at the Canadian National Exhibition and overseeing early development of the city's waterfront.

Professor Michiel Horn of York University attributes the Commission's decision to ban all public meetings held in languages other than English to McBride and his concern about Jewish trade union and socialist organizers holding meetings in Yiddish in Toronto's Garment District.

In 1907, McBride drove his King Bryson to a world record of 2:19½ for trotters over a half-mile track on ice at Plattsburgh, New York.