Publisher, dancer.
Born at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan around 1918, he trained as an actor at the Alviene Academy in New York City and, in 1945, performed shows for the Canadian Army in Europe. Returning from overseas, he took a job with the Winnipeg firm of Stovel Printing and stayed there almost 50 years, working as sales director and eventually publisher of the western business magazine Trade and Commerce until his retirement.
Active in the Winnipeg arts community, as an actor, dancer, choreographer, and promoter, he was one of the original dancers with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. He was a financial backer, manager, and promoter with several early theatre groups, including the Winnipeg Little Theatre, Actors’ Guild, The Playmakers, The Musical Comedy Guild, and Rainbow Stage. In the 1940s and ‘50s, he was a frequent performed in CBC radio dramas.
He died unmarried at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on 6 January 2002.
“Local dance pioneer Wilson dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 January 2002, page C8.
“They will never be forgotten,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 2002, pages A8-A9.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 15 January 2023
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