Hugh, 1st Baron Atholstan (1848-1938)

He was born in St Michaels (Athelstan), Lower Canada, becoming a prominent Canadian newspaper publisher who transformed journalism in Montreal. Starting his career as a fifteen year old office boy working for his uncle, he co-founded the Montreal Star in 1869, building it into Canada's largest and most profitable daily newspaper through technical innovations and compelling content. A staunch British imperialist, his editorial influence helped persuade the Laurier government to send troops to the Boer War, and he personally underwrote insurance for the first contingent. He expanded his empire by launching the Montreal Standard in 1905. King Edward VII knighted him in 1908, and in 1917, King George V elevated him to Baron Atholstan for his vigorous support of conscription during World War I. His advocacy of conscription proved controversial - anti-conscription radicals dynamited his townhouse (see images) on Sherbrooke Street in August 1917, although he escaped unharmed. He co-founded the Mount Royal Club and wielded considerable influence as a Conservative, though his political allegiances often fluctuated. In 1925, at age 77, he sold his publications to J.W. McConnell, ending a remarkable six-decade career that had a profound affect on Canadian journalism and public opinion during a transformative period in the nation's history.