Finlay set up branches of the Northwest lumber Company along the Canadian Pacific Railway line as it moved west across the prairies, and settled in Medicine Hat shortly afterwards.

[2] Finlay left his lumber agency in 1886 and joined Thomas Andrew Tweed and two other prominent men in the Medicine Hat Ranche Company.

[2][4] During the discussions for province-hood for the North-West Territories, Finlay was strongly opposed to the concept of publicly funded separate schools for Roman Catholics and Protestants, however, he eventually accepted the compromise solution for Alberta.

[2][5] In February 1905, the federal government of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier introduced legislation to create two new provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan) from the Northwest Territories.

In March 1909, just before the upcoming election, Finlay announced the construction of the $40,000 Medicine Hat Courthouse, a bridge, and a demonstration farm in the region.

[13] He stepped down as the member of his riding in 1910 after his health deteriorated to the point where he could no longer perform his duties, and made room for Charles R. Mitchell to run in a by-election.