Malcolm Colin Cameron was born on April 12, 1832 in Perth, Upper Canada (Ontario). Cameron attended Knox Collegiate in Toronto and studied law in Renfrew. In 1855, Cameron moved to Goderich, where he practiced law and later served as a councilor, reeve and mayor. He was called to the bar of Upper Canada in 1860 and appointed Queen's Counsel on March 11, 1876.

Cameron served as a Liberal Member of Parliament for South Huron and West Huron from 1867 until 1898 (not inclusive). He was appointed lieutenant governor of the North-West Territories effective May 30, 1898 on the advice of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. The appointment was made by the Earl of Aberdeen, Governor General of Canada. During his term, Cameron resided at Government House in Regina. Cameron died in London, Ontario on September 26, 1898 while en route from Regina to Goderich. He was buried in Maitland Cemetery in Goderich.

Cameron married Janet (Jessie) Hiddneston McLean on May 30, 1855. The Camerons had two sons and five daughters.

In 1909, a Canadian military training camp named "Camp Sewell" was established 10 kilometers west of Carberry, south of the Canadian Pacific Railway line. It started out as a city of tents and covered a large area. The name of the camp was changed in 1915 to "Camp Hughes" in honour of Major-General Sir Sam Hughes, Canada's Minister of Militia and Defence at the time. Extensive trench systems, grenade and rifle ranges, and military structures were built at Camp Hughes between 1915 and 1916, and a variety of retail stores and entertainment complexes on a double-avenued area close to the main camp formed a lively commercial midway. During World War I, more than 38,000 troops of the Canadian Expeditionary Force trained at the camp, and by 1916 it had grown to such a large size that it had the largest population of any city in the province of Manitoba outside of the capital city, Winnipeg. Many of the soldiers who trained at Camp Hughes were later involved in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France on April 9, 1917.

In 1909, a Canadian military training camp named "Camp Sewell" was established 10 kilometers west of Carberry, south of the Canadian Pacific Railway line. It started out as a city of tents and covered a large area. The name of the camp was changed in 1915 to "Camp Hughes" in honour of Major-General Sir Sam Hughes, Canada's Minister of Militia and Defence at the time. Extensive trench systems, grenade and rifle ranges, and military structures were built at Camp Hughes between 1915 and 1916, and a variety of retail stores and entertainment complexes on a double-avenued area close to the main camp formed a lively commercial midway. During World War I, more than 38,000 troops of the Canadian Expeditionary Force trained at the camp, and by 1916 it had grown to such a large size that it had the largest population of any city in the province of Manitoba outside of the capital city, Winnipeg. Many of the soldiers who trained at Camp Hughes were later involved in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France on April 9, 1917.