William Finlayson (Canadian politician)

William Finlayson (December 12, 1874 – November 14, 1943) was an Ontario lawyer, cabinet minister and political figure.

He was President of the Simcoe Railway and Power Company, which constructed the Big Chute hydroelectric plant in 1909.

Prior to his appointment, Ernest H. Finlayson (his half-brother and the head of the Dominion Forest Service since 1925) gave him an intensive crash-course in silviculture, which "resulted in... [Minister Finlayson]... stepping into the job with, perhaps, a greater knowledge of the principles of forestry than has probably been the case with any other non-technical man who has occupied a Cabinet post.

[14] He also became an advocate for the expansion of the provincial parks system — probably the first influential politician in the Province to do so[15] — and was instrumental in swapping timber limits with the Spanish River Company in order to save the natural beauty of Trout Lake (later renamed as O.S.A.

In 1939, he resigned his seat in order to enable George Drew, the new party leader, to be elected to the Assembly.