Manitoba Historical Society
     Keeping history alive for over 144 years


Memorable Manitobans: Donald Leatham “Don” Aiken (1914-2004)

Journalist, author.

Born at Winnipeg on 25 May 1914, son of James and Mabel Aiken, he spent several years in Aberdeen, Scotland. He returned to Manitoba in 1933 and became the editor of the Manitoba Commonwealth, a publication affiliated with the CCF, and participated in election campaigns and rallies. In 1937, he attended Normal School and went on to teach at Merridale School. During the Second World War, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, trained as a navigator and trained other navigators at Rivers before going to Europe. After the war, he returned to Winnipeg and worked as a reporter and editor at the Winnipeg Tribune. He continued working in the newspaper industry and in public relations until he retired in 1979. From 1984 to 1990 he was Executive Secretary of the Manitoba Press Council and, in 1984, he published a book entitled It Happened in Manitoba. He was a member of The Nor'Westers (1988). He was a poet, gardener, camping enthusiast, historian, photographer, and avid reader. He died at Winnipeg on 3 November 2004.

Sources:

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 6 November 2004.

“They will live on in memory” by Kevin Rollason, Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 2004, page B4.

This page was prepared by Ian Stewart.

Page revised: 25 December 2021

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!

MHS YouTube Channel

Back to top of page

For queries on the above page, please contact the MHS Webmaster.

Home  |  Terms & Conditions  |  FAQ  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy  |  Donations

© 1998-2023 Manitoba Historical Society. All rights reserved.