Memorable Manitobans: John McDowell (1894-1980)

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John McDowell
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Grain dealer, MLA (1946-1949), MLA (1949-1953), MLA (1953-1957).

Born at Greenock, Scotland on 16 September 1894, son of John McDowell and Janet Shaw, he came to Canada in 1895 and was educated at Toronto, Ontario. During the First World War, he served with the Royal Flying Corps. He was President of the McDowell Grain Company and Ridgewood Development Company, and President of the Board of Governors of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange and the Shriners’ Hospital for Crippled Children.

First elected to the Manitoba Legislature in 1945, he resigned in June 1949 to run federally in the Selkirk constituency but was defeated by William “Scottie” Bryce. He was re-elected at the 1949 and 1953 provincial general elections. He ran as an Independent Conservative in the Winnipeg South Centre constituency in the 1968 federal general election but came in a distant fourth place.

On 17 June 1955, he married Ruth Isabelle MacDonald (1913-2004) of Neepawa. They resided at 4449 Roblin Boulevard in Charleswood. He was a member of the Masons, Khartum Shriners, and Winnipeg Progressive Conservative Club.

He died at the King George Hospital on 10 June 1980 and was buried in the Kildonan Presbyterian Cemetery.

Sources:

The Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1951.

“McDowell - MacDonald,” Winnipeg Tribune, 20 June 1955, page 15.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 11 June 1980, page 70.

Obituary [Ruth McDowell], Winnipeg Free Press, 1 May 2004.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (deceased), Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

We thank Oliver Bernuetz (Legislative Library of Manitoba) for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 4 December 2023

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.

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