Memorable Manitobans: Harold Edward Buchanan (1923-2005)

Community activist.

Born at Smoky Lake, Alberta, on 15 August 1923, he was the second son of Barbara Cromarty and William Buchanan. Because his father was a member of the Alberta Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the family moved from Leduc to Edmonton, and then in 1935 to Calgary, where he completed his schooling at Crescent Heights High School and excelled in basketball and football.

During the Second World War, he joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, where he spent many days on corvettes and frigates as a Gunnery Officer during the Battle of the Atlantic. Following the end of the war, he helped organize and play football with the Calgary Stampeders, and remained a supporter all his life, becoming involved with the Stampede Queen contest and the Stampede Board. He also worked for International Harvester until 1951, and then worked for Federated Insurance for thirty-six years, until retiring as the Canadian Sales Manager.

He was an active member of a philanthropic organization called the Associated Canadian Travellers, mainly in Calgary. Following retirement, he and his wife Margaret Mainwaring moved to Winnipeg, and he became active with the Naval Officers Association, White Ensign Club, and Naval Museum of Manitoba.

He enjoyed gardening, curling, golf, hunting, fly fishing, and riding horses. In his younger days, he spent summers at the homestead of his Cromarty grandparents along the old Victoria Trail west of Pakan, Alberta. That farm was later purchased by the Metis Association of Alberta and is recognized as a national heritage site.

He died on 4 September 2005 and was buried at Calgary in the Field of Honour at Queen’s Park Cemetery. He had six children.

Sources:

Obituary, Calgary Herald, 9 September 2005.

This page was prepared by Lois Braun.

Page revised: 3 September 2021

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!