[1] Born to a wealthy land-owning family, the son of John Albert McDonald and Alice Grace Carr, McDonald was educated in Roland and at Wesley College in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1925, and worked in insurance and real estate.
He served as a backbench supporter of Douglas Campbell's government, and was re-elected by an increased majority in the 1953 election.
[1] The Liberal-Progressives lost power to the Progressive Conservatives following the 1958 election, though McDonald retained his seat[1] over Tory candidate William Homer Hamilton by 73 votes.
McDonald served as Sovereign Grand Commander of Canada's Scottish Rite of Freemasonry from 1976 to 1979.