Railwayman.
Born at Winnipeg on 1 September 1905, son of Mary Frances Fairclough (1866-1937) and George Alexander McMillan (1861-1929), he was educated at Alexandra School and Kelvin High School. In 1922, he began law studies at the University of Manitoba but illness prevented him from completing them. Following his recovery, he became stenographer for the Great West Lumber Company and, in 1925, he joined the Canadian National Railway as a stenographer in the general passenger office at Winnipeg. He was transferred to the operations department the following year and became secretary in 1929 to the Vice President of the Western Region. On 1 January 1949, he was appointed General Superintendent of the Manitoba district of the CNR assuming responsibility for the sale and operation of 4,000 miles of track. He later became Vice-President for the Western Region.
On 11 January 1933, he married Mabel Louise Brown (1911-1992) at Winnipeg and they had three children: Frank Donald McMillan (1933-2013), Mary Lou McMillan (1935-1935), and Marion Jerrine McMillan (wife of Leland LeRoy Hansen). A man who liked quiet pastimes, he enjoyed reading and attending his son Frank’s hockey games.
He died at Edmonton, Alberta on 1 January 1991.
Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
“G. A. McMillan, here 40 years, passes away,” Winnipeg Tribune, 2 March 1929, page 3.
“General Superintendant,” Winnipeg Tribune, 1 February 1949. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B10, page 84]
Advertisement, Winnipeg Free Press, 31 July 1953, page 27.
“Hansen - McMillan,” Winnipeg Tribune, 1 December 1962, page 23.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
We thank Barbara Spitzner for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Sarah Ramsden, Janice McClelland, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 15 September 2023
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 SearchBrowse 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 | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 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.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
