Memorable Manitobans: Vernon Ernest “Vern” McNair (1928-2020)

Broadcaster, civil servant.

Born at Shoal Lake on 13 May 1928, son of Ernest McNair and Emily Coyne, he attended Wolfe Creek School, Shoal Lake Collegiate, and the University of Manitoba, graduating from the latter with a BSc Agriculture degree in 1951. He worked as an Agricultural Representative at Carberry before joining CBC at Winnipeg where he was a farm broadcaster in radio and television. He contributed to the television program Country Calendar which later became Country Canada. In 1959, he joined the Manitoba Department of Agriculture, taking leave to receive a Masters degree in Education (Communications). He returned to the Department, serving as Chief of Information Services and then Director of Communication Services until retirement in 1989. During his retirement, he wrote a memoir entitled A Long Way From Wolfe Creek. In recognition of his work in agricultural communications, he was inducted into the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame (2013). On 1 June 1951, he married Marjory “Marj” Fleming and they had three children. He died at Winnipeg on 11 March 2020.

Sources:

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 14 March 2020.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 14 March 2020

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.

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:
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.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!