This organization was founded in 1919 as the Manitoba Division of the Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association. It became the Manitoba Weekly Newspapers Association in the mid-1950s.
Period
President
Newspaper
?-?
John Alexander McLachlan (1869-1947)
1919-1922
?
1922-1923
Roy Christopher Fahrni (1884-1958)
1923
Thomas Beveridge (1865-1932)
1923-1925
Frederick Corbett Norris (1880-1957)
Elkhorn Mercury
1925-1926
Melford Seldon Watson (1890-1979)
1926-1927
?
1927-1928
William Villiers “Bill” Udall (1874-1962)
1928-1929
William Andrew Young “Bill” Bourns (1886-1960)
1929-1930
?
1930-1931
Thomas George “T.G.” McKitrick (1874-1953)
1931-1932
Henry Barron Munro (?-1974)
1932-1934
Gordon Alexander McMorran (1885-1966)
1934-1935
Ronald Wesley “Tuck” Tuckwell (1890-1991)
1935-1936
Alexander Blake Dunlop (1881-1947)
1936-1937
Robert James “Bob” Sanderson (1903-1966)
1937-1940
Henry George “Harry” Franklin (1892-1987)
1940-1941
Henry Barron Munro (?-1974)
1941-1943
William James “Billy” Rowe (1872-1947)
1943-1946
Everett Percival Brown (1904-?)
1946-1947
Frederick Corbett Norris (1880-1957)
Elkhorn Mercury
1947-1948
William Garfield “Garf” Chaloner (1904-1989)
1948-1949
David Klippenstein “D.K.” Friesen (1910-1991)
1949-1950
John Rundle McLachlan (1911-1969)
1950-1951
Norman Smith McLean (1887-1972)
Elmwood Herald
1951-1953
Raymond Sutcliffe “Ray” Evans (1911-1998)
1953-1954
Arthur H. Leech (?-1986)
St. Vital Lance
1954-1955
Thomas E. Wilkins
?
1955-1956
Helen Frances Marsh (1917-1995)
1956-1957
Alfred William “Bill” Hanks (1894-1985)
1957-1958
Melville Alexander “Mel” MacDonald (1907-1983)
1958-1959
Eugene Derksen (c1916-1994)
1959-1960
Harvey P. Friesen
Winkler Progress
1960-1961
Charles G. Hawkins
1961-1962
Frank Russell “Rusty” Manning (1913-2003)
1962-1963
Dennis G. Crook (?-2016)
1963-1964
?
1964-1965
James Herbert Bilton (1908-1988)
1965-1966
Frederic Standen “Fred” Venables (1915-1981)
1966-1967
?
1967-1968
?
1968-1969
Wilfred Haldor “Bill” Vopni (1911-1973)
?
1969-1970
George Clifford Kroft (c1917-1987)
1970-1971
Robert Hughes
Transcona News
1971-1972
John Harry Oslund (1929-2014)
1972-1973
Glen H. Witherspoon
1973-1982
?
1982-1983
Clayton Chaloner
“Rural editors not satisfied,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 May 1923, page 18.
“Manitoba publishers hold meeting,” Manitoba Free Press, 13 May 1927, page 6.
“W. Udall, Boissevain, heads weekly papers,” MacGregor Herald, 8 May 1924, page 4.
“Manitoba newspapermen advise Brandon on matters of power,” Brandon Sun, 10 October 1931, page 10.
“G. A. McMorran is head of weekly newspapers body,” Manitoba Free Press, 8 October 1932, page 6.
“Newspapermen of rural Manitoba in session here,” Manitoba Free Press, 28 September 1934, page 3.
“Newsmen's president,” Brandon Sun, 14 September 1935, page 15.
“Minnedosa man is president of country editors,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 October 1936, page 10.
“Roland editor heads weeklies,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 September 1938, page 2.
“Leech heads newspaper assoc.,” Selkirk Enterprise, 11 June 1953, page 1.
“Weeklies name Friesen,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 September 1959, page 2.
“Reston publisher heads weeklies,” Winnipeg Tribune, 13 May 1961, page 6.
“Lac du Bonnet publisher to head weeklies group,” Brandon Sun, 14 May 1962, page 3.
“Weeklies elect Hughes,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 April 1970, page 157.
“Glen Witherspoon new MWNA head,” Brandon Sun, 17 June 1972, page 2.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 23 August 2024
