Memorable Manitobans: George Harold McIvor (1894-1991)

Grain commissioner.

Born at Portage la Prairie in 1894, he began work in a grain elevator at age 15, eventually joining the Winnipeg Grain Exchange. He became Assistant Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Wheat Board in 1935 and its Chief Commissioner in 1937, serving until 1958. Associated for many years with C. D. Howe, McIvor’s cautious approach to marketing and financing was increasingly seen as part of the farm policy of the Liberal government that was so unpopular with western grain farmers. Under attack by several members of the Diefenbaker government, he resigned in late 1957, although he agreed to stay on until after the 1958 general election. He then became Chairman of the board of Robin Hood Flour Mills, serving until 1969, when he retired to Calgary, Alberta. He and wife Amy Myrl O’Hagan (1898-1990) had two children: Marilyn McIvor and Donald McIvor. He served as President of the Winnipeg Winter Club (1938-1939). He died, while on holiday in Scotland, on 2 March 1991 and was buried at Lethbridge, Alberta.

See also:

Chosen Instrument: A History of the Canadian Wheat Board: The McIvor Years by William E. Morriss (1987).

Sources:

“President,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 June 1938, page 7.

Obituary [Amy Myrl McIvor], Winnipeg Free Press, 14 October 1990, page 34.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 6 March 1991, page 30.

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 3 August 2022

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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