Physician, surgeon, educator.
Born at Bouctouche, Kent County, New Brunswick on 24 June 1886 [or 1887], son of John McPhail (1847-?) and Florence McPhail (1858-?), he graduated from the University of Fredericton and took up teaching. Coming to Manitoba, he taught at Hiltonmye School (1906) and was Principal of Lenore School (1909-1910), Dominion City School (1911-1912), and Arden School (1912-1913), and he also taught at Bon Accord, Saskatchewan (1916).
He lived at Linden Court at Winnipeg and attended the Manitoba Medical College (1914-1917), graduating with MD (1917) and CM degrees from the University of Manitoba. He worked initially at the Winnipeg General Hospital. On 3 December 1917, he enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces. He served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps, was promoted to Captain, and was demobilizated in July 1919.
On 15 December 1917, he married Dorothy Mabel Eva Young (1894-1979) and they had three children: John James “Jim” McPhail (1920-1998), Donald Malcolm “Don” McPhail, and Audrey McPhail (1926-2003, wife of Alexander M. Martin).
He first established a private medical practise at Roland, serving for a short time before moving to Burdett, Alberta by 1921. He and the family remained there until they returned to Manitoba in 1924. They lived at 204 Wallasey Street in St. James where he continued his profession as well as being involved in civic affairs, serving as Trustee (1930s-1941) and Vice-Chairman (1940) of the St. James School Board, Second Vice-President (1938-1939) of the St. James Scholarship Foundation, and was the Conservative candidate for the Assiniboia in the 1936 provincial general election. In 1941, he relocated his office to Manitou and remained there until heading for the United States around the early 1950s. He passed the California State Medical Exams (1952, Honours) and continued practised there until retirement 1957 and returning to Winnipeg. He was a charter member of the Arthur Currie Legion Branch (Royal Canadian Legion) and a member of the Masons (Sturgeon Creek Lodge).
He died at Deer Lodge Hospital on 31 March 1964 and was buried in the Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens, and is commemorated by the Dr. Harry Percival McPhail Memorial Scholarship at the University of Manitoba.
1901 and 1916 Canada censusus, Automated Genealogy.
1926 and 1931 Canada censuses, Library and Archives Canada.
Birth registrations [John James McPhail], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registrations [Harry Percival McPhail, Dorothy Mabel Young], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Attestation papers, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.
“Result of Manitoba University examinations [Medicine - First Year],” Manitoba Free Press, 15 May 1914, page 21.
“Campus notes,” The Manitoban, 28 October 1915, page 14.
“Mr. H. P. McPhail ...],” The Manitoban, 1 April 1917, page 11.
“118 students are awarden degrees by Manitoba "U" [Medicine - Fourth Year],” Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 11 May 1917, page 13.
“Increase in salary minimum of St. James teachers is urged,” Winnipeg Free Press, 11 February 1937, page 10.
“Fanshaw heads scholarship body,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 July 1938, page 10.
“School trustees of St. James busy,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1940, page 17.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 2 April 1964, page 25.
“22 University of Manitoba students get scholarships,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 November 1970, page 4.
Obituary [Dorothy Mabel McPhail], Winnipeg Free Press, 29 November 1979, page 56.
Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens burial transcriptions, FindAGrave.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 14 July 2024
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