Farmer, community activist.
Born in Scotland on 15 November 1879, he immigrated to Canada with his family in 1891 and settled in the Helston area before eventually moving to Westbourne where he farmed until retirement around 1970. He was best known for the creation of Perry Park, a ten-acre site along the Whitemud River in Westbourne that he later donated to the municipality as well as 80 acres of adjacent prairie to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The Winnipeg Tribune named him “Citizen of the Year” in 1956. He was an honorary member of the Children’s Aid Society of Central Manitoba and a member of the Manitoba Horticultural Association. In 1960, his community service was recognized with a Manitoba Golden Boy Award.
He and wife Elsie had four children: Douglas Paterson, Betty Paterson (wife of R. Wilson), Laurie Paterson (wife of T. De Guefe), and Leslie Paterson (wife of G. Merrill). He died at Portage la Prairie on 2 October 1975 and was buried in the Westbourne Cemetery. He is commemorated by the David J. Paterson Entrance Scholarship for students in Landscape Architecture at the University of Manitoba.
1901 Canada census [David Patterson Jr.], Automated Genealogy.
“These twelve Manitobans to receive Golden Boy Awards,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 June 1960, page 12.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 3 October 1975, page 22.
“David J. Paterson entrance scholarship: Supporting future landscape architects,” UM News, 6 November 2024.
We thank James Arnett for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 20 February 2025
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