All Haligonians are familiar with the Macdonald bridge — but how much do you know about the man behind the name? There are many reasons to be proud of our two-time Premier.

“Angus L.” was raised in a family of 14 children and grew up to pay his own way through university at StFX. He played rugby, won academic awards, edited the school newspaper, and became the class valedictorian — but not before taking a break from his degree to fight in the First World War.

“Angus L.” in his Sunday best. Photo credit: StFX University Library archives

While fighting on the front lines, Macdonald stepped up to the plate to lead his fellow soldiers when all of his commanding officers were killed.

He ended up getting shot in the neck by a German sniper, only to recover after 8 months in a British hospital.

The Angus L. Macdonald bridge under construction in the 1950s.

Premier Macdonald earned the then-popular expression “All’s Well With Angus L”. He took on some of Nova Scotia’s most monumental issues and turned them into success stories. During his time in office, he was responsible for the construction of over $100 million in new roads, bridges, and extended electrical transmission lines throughout the province. All the while, dealing with the mass economic issues of the Great Depression by putting Nova Scotians to work on these projects.

Next time you’re on your morning commute across Halifax’s famous bridge, tip your hat to its namesake — he’s certainly earned it.