Editor and publisher.
Born at Dungannon, County Tyrone, Ireland on 23 November 1886, son of John Henry Bourns (1859-?) and Sarah J. Young (1858-?), the family came to Canada in 1888 where his father, a graduate of Trinity College in Dublin, taught school in Manitoba, establishing a school at Whitewood (North West Territories, now Saskatchewan) in 1890. Educated at Whitewood, he learned the printing business with the Whitewood Herald, Crystal City Courier, North Dakota Moon, North Dakota Republican, Yorkton Enterprise and Times, Miniota Herald (1910-1913), and Minto Packet.
He came to Hartney in 1921 and purchased the Hartney Star from Miss Playfair, becoming its editor and publisher. He also printed the Minto Packet and Elgin Lancet. He later owned the Deloraine Times and Star which operated in the former Union Bank Building in Deloraine. He was a member of the Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association (President of Manitoba Branch, 1928-1929). Married to Nettie Ellen McCauley (?-?), he served on the Hartney town council. He was a member of the AF & AM (Kilwinning Lodge, Minto) and IOOF (Lodge No. 64, Minto). He died at Brandon on 27 June 1960 and was buried in the Hartney Cemetery.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.
Obituary, Brandon Sun, 29 June 1960, page 21.
We thank Elaine Blyth (eblyth@telus.net) for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 23 August 2024
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