 Between March and June, 1865 he held the office of President of the Council in the ministry headed by Etienne Tache and John A. Macdonald.His public involvements were diverse and included founding roles in both the Hamilton Board of Trade and the Toronto Board of Trade.Buchanan was an international merchant, first president of the Hamilton Club, and founder of the Thirteenth Battalion, a regiment which would later become the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.