Accountant, civil servant.
Born at Winnipeg on 16 February 1929 to Ethel Rachel Hepburn (1898-1993) and Duncan Crawford Johnstone (1888-1977), he grew up in the West End, graduated from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Commerce in 1950, and obtained Chartered Accountant certification in 1954. From 1954 to 1955 he trained as a pilot with the Reserve Squadron in the Royal Canadian Air Force at Claresholm, Alberta before returning to his native province in 1955 to practice chartered accountancy.
In 1966, he became Director of Administration, Department of Health for the Province of Manitoba, and rose to Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance and Administration) in 1968; Associate Deputy Minister, Health and Social Development in 1975; and Deputy Minister of the Department in 1976. During his 23 years with the Government of Manitoba, he advised Cabinet, Treasury Board, and Cabinet Committees on policies, programs, and fiscal issues.
He was involved in Inter-Provincial and Federal-Provincial relations through Deputy Ministerial, Ministerial meetings and various working groups through three transitions of political ideology from Conservative to NDP and back to Conservative under Provincial Premiers Duff Roblin, Ed Schreyer, and Sterling Lyon. He played a significant role in establishing Manitoba’s Pharmacare, Day Care, and Home Care Programs. He served on the Board of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg. Upon stepping down from the post of Deputy Minister in 1984, he provided consulting services to various Departments of the Manitoba Government, including the Department of Health, the Department of the Attorney General, as well as the Civil Service Commission before retiring in 1988.
From his time playing junior hockey in his youth, he maintained his athleticism and enjoyed curling at the Granite Curling Club for many years, and in retirement golfed almost daily at either the Assiniboine Golf Club, the Dome, or his favourite courses in Palm Springs, California. Before falling ill, he also had an associate membership at the Southwood Golf and Country Club. Nurturing and enthusiastically supporting athleticism in his children, who pursued and excelled in various sports, he served on the Boards of the River Heights Community Centre, River Heights Speed Skating Club, Manitoba Speedskating Association, and Assiniboine Park Hockey Association.
With his wife Maureen Bernadette Cancilla (1933-1969), he had three daughters. After her death, he married Betty Skocdopole.
He died at Winnipeg on 24 August 2006.
Obituary [Maureen Bernadette Johnstone], Winnipeg Free Press, 1 September 1969, page 20.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 26 August 2006.
Duncan Crawford Johnstone, FindAGrave.
Ethel Rachel Hepburn Johnstone, FindAGrave.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 10 December 2022
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