Fonds consists of the following series of records: Biographical sketches, n.d., 1964-1976; Political, Canadian Congress of Labour, and Canadian Labour Congress correspondence, 1941-1975; Personal correspondence, 1940-1943, 1952-1980; Financial papers, 1951-1980; Cards, invitations and memorabilia, 1943, 1952-1980; Appointment books and calendars, 1954-1979; newspaper clippings, 1939-1980; Subject files, 1938-1980; Articles and addresses by MacDonald and others, n.d., 1948-1978; Canadian Labour Congress minutes, 1956-1975; Canadian Labour Congress, office files, 1953-1976; International Confederation of Free Trade Union office files, 1969-1975.
The fonds contains photographs of activities of Donald MacDonald; regional, national and international meetings and conventions; extension classes at St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia, ca. 1935; Winnipeg Strike; and photographs related to labour organizations, 1906-1975.
Included in the fonds are delegate, guest and visitor badges, brooches, ribbons, pins and buttons from various international, national and provincial labour conferences, [ca. 1938-1982]; 2 Cape Breton Sport Centre Ltd., ribbons, 1 Barranquilla, Columbia, Federacion Sindical de Trabajadores Agrarios ribbon, 1 T.T.C. brooch, 1 PSAC AFPC Convention medal, and 1 Confraternity of the Precious Blood medal, 1945-1973.
Also included in the fonds are pennants, a banner, and a gonfalon advertising meetings of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 1961-1976.
Fonds consists of 18 architectural drawings for the MacDonald residence in Sydney, Nova Scotia by the architect A.E. Priest of Halifax, N.S. Also included are 4 tourist maps: one of Edmonton; one of the Mackenzie route to the Northwest Territories; a British Railways passenger travel map, and a street map of the city of Stockholm.
MacDonald, Donald, 1909-1986 : Donald MacDonald was born in Halifax, N.S., moved to Cape Breton, and was educated there and at St. Francis Xavier University. By the time he was twenty one, MacDonald was President of Local 4560, District 26, United Mine Workers of America and remained active in that union until he was blacklisted in 1940. He was also active in the co-operative movement. In 1941 MacDonald was elected to the Nova Scotia Legislature as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation member for Cape Breton South. He was the leader of the C.C.F. Party in the Nova Scotia Assembly until 1945 and served on the Provincial Council, 1940-1951. He was also a member of the C.C.F. National Council 1941-1945.
In 1942, MacDonald joined the Canadian Congress of Labour (C.C.L.) as an organizer and was Director of Organization for the Maritimes, 1945-1951. From 1951 until the C.C.L. merged with the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada to form the Canadian Labour Congress (C.L.C.) in 1956, MacDonald held the office of secretary-treasurer and chief executive officer of the C.C.L. He then served as secretary-treasurer of the C.L.C., 1956-1967. MacDonald then served as president, 1968-1974.
MacDonald was also involved with international trade unionism as a member of the Executive Board of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (I.C.F.T.U.) for twenty-three years and in 1969 he was elected Vice-President. In 1972, MacDonald was elected President of the I.C.F.T.U., and retired in 1974. MacDonald was also associated with numerous national and international organizations and committees involved in the fields of labour and education, and received numerous awards for his community service.
