He was born in Montreal, Canada East in 1847 and educated in Walkerton, Ontario. In 1870, he married Jessie Porteous. He owned a sawmill, planing mill and sash and door factory. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1891 but that election was declared invalid and Henry Cargill was elected by acclamation in the by-election which followed. Truax was an unsuccessful candidate for the federal seat in Bruce South in 1911 and 1921.