John Henry Dunn | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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John Henry Dunn

John Henry Dunn, officeholder, politician, businessman (baptized at St Helena 26 Feb 1792; d at London, Eng 21 Apr 1854).

John Henry Dunn

John Henry Dunn, officeholder, politician, businessman (baptized at St Helena 26 Feb 1792; d at London, Eng 21 Apr 1854). His 23-year career as receiver general of Upper Canada was critical to the success of a number of early Canadian transportation projects, including the WELLAND CANAL and the St Lawrence canals, and had a lasting impact on public finance in Canada. Shortly after his appointment in 1820, he realized that the government revenues available from local sources, such as customs duties and the sales of CLERGY RESERVES, were insufficient to meet the province's immediate need for road, bridge and canal construction. During the 1820s and 1830s, Dunn began the practice of having the provincial government borrow large sums of private money, particularly from large British financial houses such as the Baring Bros, to finance its transportation projects. Although Dunn's social and political situation made him a suitable candidate for the FAMILY COMPACT, he was a moderate reformer who supported the union of the Canadas and the political ideals of both Robert BALDWIN and Louis-Hippolyte LAFONTAINE.