Memorable Manitobans: George Collins Nelson (1932-2002)

Swimmer, author, naturalist.

Born on 22 April 1932, son of Frank Nelson and Louise Collins, he was the 1949 junior men’s Canadian record holder in the 50-yard butterfly, as well as the Canadian record holder for the three-stroke medley relay. He also was a comedy diver and participated in the first two Red River Exhibitions at the Old Amphitheatre and Osborne stadium, which led to a summer on the road with the Wallace Brothers Carnival in the prairie provinces and Quebec. He worked for the City of Winnipeg Health Department and in the Land Inventory Project and the Natural Resources Department of the Government of Canada until his retirement. He served as Fish Chairman of the Manitoba Wildlife Federation and wrote several publications including the Wildlife Crusader, was a semi-regular on CBC Radio’s fishing, travel and BBQ features. He was a skilled calligrapher and owned and operated a framing and art franchise. He died at Winnipeg on 20 December 2002.

Sources:

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 23 December 2002.

“They will never be forgotten” by Kevin Rollason, Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 2002, page A8.

This page was prepared by Ian Stewart.

Page revised: 26 December 2016

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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