Quick Facts
Biography
David Purvis (1845 – September 1, 1914) was a merchant and politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as mayor of North Bay from 1905 to 1906.
He was born in Scarborough, Canada West and moved to Barrie with his family in 1860. With his brothers James and Thomas, he established a hardware retail business. Purvis came to North Bay in 1888 to set up a branch there. Their business also had branches in Sudbury and Webbwood. Purvis was the first president of the North Bay Board of Trade, serving from 1894 to 1905. He served on the town council in Barrie for five years and also served on the North Bay council. Purvis was a member of the public school board and the high school board in North Bay. He retired from business in 1908.
Purvis was a promoter of the Georgian Bay Ship Canal.
He died in North Bay at the age of 69.