Biography.guide
Home › People › Railway executive › David Blyth Hanna
Portrait of David Blyth Hanna

David Blyth Hanna

1858 – 1938

Canadian businessman

Railway executive
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About David Blyth Hanna

Lived 1858 – 1938 (aged 79). David Blyth Hanna was a railway executive.

David Blyth Hanna (December 20, 1858, Thornliebank, Scotland – December 1, 1938, Toronto) was a railway executive with the Canadian Northern Railway and the Canadian National Railways. Born in Thornliebank, Scotland, he emigrated to Canada in 1882 where he was employed by the Grand Trunk Railway. In 1896 he joined William Mackenzie and Donald Mann who organized the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) in Western Canada.

He was third vice-president of the CNoR, president of the Canadian Northern Quebec Railway Company and of the Quebec and Lake St. John Railway Company. After the federal government took control of the bankrupt CNoR in 1918, Hanna was named president of the reorganized company in September 1918.

He was appointed the first president of the Board of Directors of the Canadian National Railways in 1919. He retired in 1922 and was appointed first chairman of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario 1927–28. Sir Henry Thornton (1871–1933) succeeded him as second president of the CNR.

The town of Hanna, Alberta is named after him.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Railway executive

People in David Blyth Hanna's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped David Blyth Hanna's

Frequently asked questions

Who was David Blyth Hanna?

Canadian businessman

When was David Blyth Hanna born?

David Blyth Hanna was born on 20 December 1858.

When did David Blyth Hanna die?

David Blyth Hanna died on 1 December 1938 in Toronto.

What was David Blyth Hanna's occupation?

David Blyth Hanna was a railway executive.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: David Blyth Hanna

· Wikidata: Q5231498

· DBpedia: David Blyth Hanna

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Blyth Hanna. https://biography.guide/david-blyth-hanna/

MLA: "David Blyth Hanna." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-blyth-hanna/.

Chicago: "David Blyth Hanna." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-blyth-hanna/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:31 UTC