MHS Centennial Organization: Winnipeg Press Club

Link to:
Presidents | Life Members | Honorary Members | Sources

On 12 February 1887, a strong representation of Winnipeg’s newspaper publishers, editors and reporters gathered in their club rooms at Winnipeg City Hall to elect the first board for the Winnipeg Press Club. They could not know that night that the club would, in the 21st century, reign as Canada’s oldest media club, and one of the four oldest in the world. Elected as the first officers of the club were Thomas Hiram Preston as President (the runner-up was Charles Acton Burrows), William Edward Maclellan as Vice-President, Archibald McNee as Treasurer, and Charles Wesley Handscomb as Secretary, with an Executive Committee consisting of John Wesley Dafoe, George A. Flynn, and A. P. Wood.

The early objectives of the Winnipeg Press Club were similar to those of the present-day club: 1) to promote the professional, social, cultural and educational interests of its members and encourage professional exchange and development, 2) to provide a united voice to the practice of journalism and freedom of the press in Winnipeg, and 3) to establish fraternal relationships with fellow press clubs and media associations around the world.

Originally a private club for members of the newspaper fraternity, it grew to become an organization with members across many media. Broadcasters joined its ranks in 1947. The first women journalists became members in 1970.

The WPC is perhaps best known for its annual satire show “Beer and Skits,” which still stands as North America’s longest-running revue. Beer & Skits formed in 1933, put on two shows in 1934, and staged a show every year thereafter until the final production in 2006. For the first 50 years, the show was restricted to men only, in both the cast and crew and the audience. Women became part of the show in 1984. B&S presented the fun-loving side of media personalities, and many of the same people who were involved in the often slap-stick B&S comedy also played a key role in Winnipeg’s Schmockey Night, an equally slap-stick fundraiser for Manitobans with disabilities. WPC’s contribution to Schmockey Night’s success was acknowledged with the national Ability Fund Award in 1972.

In 1890, the Club left its rooms at City Hall, and followed a vagabond existence until 1953, when the Club opened the doors of its first club room and bar, on the third floor of the Northern Life Assurance Company at 300 Main Street. For 47 years, from 1961 through 2008, the Marlborough Hotel was its home. The Club no longer maintains its own rooms. After having a temporary home with the Irish Association of Manitoba on Erin Street, as of 2011 the Club holds meetings and events at The Royal Canadian Legion, St. James Branch #4, at 1755 Portage Avenue.

On 3 April 2005, an MHS Centennial Organization Award was presented to the Winnipeg Press Club by Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard, Jacqueline Friesen, and Gordon Goldsborough.

In 2014, the Winnipeg Press Club deposited its records in the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections. It wound up its financial affairs in 2023 and was expected to be dissolved by a vote of its directors in late 2023 or early 2024.

Presidents

Year

President

Affiliation

1887-1888

Thomas Hiram Preston (1855-1925)

Manitoba Daily Sun

1888-1922

?

?

1922

Hay Strafford Stead (1872-1924)

Winnipeg Telegram

1923

Vernon M. Kipp

Canadian Press

1924

David B. McRae

Manitoba Free Press

1925

Wilfrid Lawrence “Biff” MacTavish (1891-1951)

Winnipeg Tribune

1926

Garnett Clay Porter (1866-1945)

Winnipeg Tribune

1927

Harold Moore (1877-1971)

Manitoba Free Press

1928

Henry Bruce Boreham (1891-1987)

Winnipeg Tribune

1929

John Wright Sifton (1886-1932)

Manitoba Free Press

1930

John Frank “Never Break” Turner (1897-1972)

Canadian Press

1931

Fred J. O'Malley

Winnipeg Tribune

1932

Albert Ernest Horsemah “Abbie” Coo (1885-1967)

Winnipeg Free Press

1933

Harry E. Wilder (1881-1948)

?

1934

Alfred Vernon Thomas (1875-1950)

Winnipeg Tribune

1935

William Henry Metcalfe (1906-1990)

Winnipeg Free Press

1936

Francis Cornwallis “Frank” Pickwell (c1875-1953)

Consolidated Press

1937

Nathan B. “Zim” Zimmerman (1898-1951)

Winnipeg Tribune

1938

John Morgan Sweeney (1908-1966)

Winnipeg Free Press

1939

Laurence Edward Brownell (1891-1949)

Stovel Press

1940

Gerald Carlisle Allison (1907-1972)

Winnipeg Tribune

1941

Guy Auldjo Gamsby (1893-1974)

Canadian Grain Journal

1942

Charles Brailsford Edwards (1906-1983)

Canadian Press

1943

John Milloy Gordon (1910-1992)

Winnipeg Tribune

1944

Edward Arthur Nicholson “Eddie/Ed” Armstrong (1904-1950)

Winnipeg Free Press

1945

Edwin S. Johnson

Canadian Press

1946

Edward U. “Ted” Schrader (c1918-1971)

Winnipeg Tribune

1947

Henry Alexander “Harry” Steel (1886-1978)

Winnipeg Free Press

1948

Alfred William “Bill” Hanks (1894-1985)

St. James Leader

1949

Harry Gordon Aikman (1914-2002)

Winnipeg Tribune

1950

Donald Leatham “Don” Aiken (1914-2004)

Winnipeg Tribune

1951

Gordon Henderson Sinclair (1921-1976)

Winnipeg Free Press

1952

John J. “Jack” Thornton

Canadian National Railway

1953

Eric Joseph Hampson Wells (1917-1993)

Winnipeg Tribune

1954

John “Jack” Maunder

Canadian Pacific Railway

1955

Colin William Evan “Bill” MacPherson (1927-1995)

Winnipeg Tribune

1956

Alfred Ernest “Alf” Parr (1913-1998)

CBC

1957

Harold Leslie Doherty (1929-2008)

Winnipeg Free Press

1958

Hugh Allan (1917-2004)

Winnipeg Tribune

1959

William Joseph “Bill” Trebilcoe (1921-1971)

CKY

1960

Albert Boothe (1913-1985)

Winnipeg Free Press

1961

John “Jack” Matheson (1924-2011)

Winnipeg Tribune

1962

Patrick “Pat” Burrage (?-1991)

James Richardson and Sons

1963

Eugene Louis “Gene” Telpner (1920-2005)

Winnipeg Free Press

1964

Harry L. Mardon (1926-2004)

Winnipeg Tribune

1965

William Edward “Bill” Morriss (1919-2003)

Winnipeg Free Press

1966

Robert Edmond “Bob” Trudel (c1925-2013)

?

1967

William D. “Bill” Grogan

CKY

1968

Jan Jakob Kamienski (1923-2010)

Winnipeg Tribune

1969

Alan “Al” Rogers

Winnipeg Tribune

1970

Frederick George Chafe (1929-2012)

Canadian Press

1971

John Donald “Don” Comstock (1927-2012)

Manitoba Hydro

1972

David Reginald “Dave” Bonner (1928-2006)

Winnipeg Free Press

1973

Ian Sutherland

Greater Winnipeg Gas

1974

John Cochrane

CJOB

1974

Bill Campbell

Air Canada

1975

David Clayton William “Dave” Lee (1946-2017)

Winnipeg Free Press

1976

G. Richard “Dick” Goodwin (1923-1981)

Winnipeg Tribune

1977

Ernest Charles “Ernie” Mutimer (1924-2014)

CBC

1978

Stephen Alex “Steve” Halinda (1935-2019)

CBC

1979

Del Sexsmith

CJOB

1980

Robert W. “Bob” Hainstock

Manitoba Co-operator

1981

Roger Newman (1935-2021)

Western News

1982

Mark Stefanson

Manitoba Government

1983

Thomas Tryggvi “Tom” Oleson (1946-2012)

Winnipeg Free Press

1984

Carol Partridge

CJOB

1985

James “Jimmy” King (1920-1987)

?

1986

King Kearns

Canadian National Railway

1987

John Tyler

?

1988-1989

Ivan Gordon LeMesurier [Lee Major] (1938-2023)

CBC

1990

Paul McKie

Winnipeg Free Press

1991

Paul Graham

CKRC

1992

Kevin Rollason

Winnipeg Free Press

1993

Lionel Ditz

University of Winnipeg

1994-1995

Kelly Dehn

CKY-TV

1996-1997

Debra Thompson

Winnipeg Free Press

1998-1999

Jane Graham

?

2000-2001

Patrick Michael Riordan (1939-2008)

?

2002

Sharon Helman

?

2003

Kevin Hill

?

2004

Alan McTavish

Alan McTavish Photographer

2005-2009

Debra Thompson

Winnipeg Free Press

2009-2012

Dwight MacAulay

Manitoba Government

Life Members

Senator Charles Lawrence Bishop (1876-1966)

David Reginald “Dave” Bonner (1928-2006)

Albert Boothe (1913-1985)

Bruce Boreham

John Cochrane

James Ian “Jim” Coghill (1935-2005)

John Donald “Don” Comstock (1927-2012)

Lionel Ditz

Jane Graham

Jan Jakob Kamienski (c1924-2010)

George P. Leyden

Ivan Gordon LeMesurier [Lee Major] (1938-2023)

Harry L. Mardon (1926-2004)

William Henry Metcalfe (1906-1990)

Major Harold Moore

Mark Edgar Nichols (1873-1961)

Harriet Smith

Henry Alexander “Harry” Steel (1886-1978)

Ian Sutherland

Debra Thompson

Eric Joseph Hampson Wells (1917-1993)

Honorary Members (President's Award)

Ruth Miriam “Babs” Asper (1933-2011)

Lloyd Norman Axworthy

Janice Clare Wainwright Filmon

Gregg Hanson

Sam Katz

Mary Kelekis (c1925-2019)

Pearl Kathryne McGonigal

William “Bill” Norrie (1929-2012)

Dufferin Roblin (1917-2010)

George Charles Waight (1892-1985)

John Hampson “Cactus Jack” Wells (1911-1999)

Valentine “Val” Werier (1917-2014)

See also:

125 Years of the Winnipeg Press Club
Manitoba History, Number 70, Fall 2012

Sources:

“Talented newsman, talented father [Steve Halinda],” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 October 2019, page B1.

We thank Wendy Hart, Nathan Kramer, and Sheilla Jones for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 25 November 2023