John Mortimer Courtney

John Mortimer Courtney was a prominent Canadian bureaucrat who served as the chief civil servant managing the country's finances from 1878 until 1906. He played a crucial role in the establishment and operation of the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) in Canada, which was intended to provide a stable source of funding for federal operations and infrastructure projects. His diaries reveal insights into the challenges faced by the POSB, including political influence in hiring practices and competition with private banks, which ultimately contributed to the bank's decline. Courtney's legacy is marked by his attempts to navigate the complexities of government finance and banking during a transformative period in Canadian history.