Engineer, municipal official.
Born at Rossburn on 11 July 1906, son of George Vandenburg Bennett (c1875-1951) and Clara Jane Whyman (c1879-1959), he came to Winnipeg in 1909 and attended Dufferin School. As a young man, he prospected for gold around Williams Lake, British Columbia then worked on the Norman Dam with the Backus Brooks Construction Company. He was assistant engineer for the construction of the Norwood Bridge in Winnipeg, and was a superintendent of the Winnipeg Electric Company for 14 years. He was executive director of Met-Wood Industries Limited.
In 1938, he organized the first Air Cadet Corps in Canada. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was commanding officer of Winnipeg’s motorcycle training unit. Later he transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force as a squadron leader. He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Winnipeg Lions Club, AF & AM (Assiniboine Lodge), Unity Services Institute, Khartum Temple Shrine, Winnipeg Ring of the International Society of Magicians, and President of Camp Manitou (1951-1952). He served on the Winnipeg city council from 1955 to 1960, during which time he was involved in the development of the Disraeli Freeway, introduction of the 999 emergency telephone number, and elimination of duplicate street names. He served as a member of the Winnipeg Police Commission. He was a Progressive Conservative candidate in the 1959 provincial general election.
He and wife Victoria Evans (1908-1971) had two daughters: Penny Bennett (wife of D. Jenkins) and Candice “Candy” Bennett. In 1957, he was inducted into the Manitoba Order of the Buffalo Hunt for his involvement in a publicity tour to New Orleans.
He died at Winnipeg on 4 April 1968 and was buried in the Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“G. V. Bennett, ex-Legion branch president dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 March 1951, page 33.
“A. E. Bennett,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 October 1952, page 3.
Obituary [Clara Jane Bennett], Winnipeg Free Press, 4 August 1959, page 20.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 5 April 1968, page 27.
“Metro councillor Bennett dies,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 April 1968.
“Last interview recalls lifetime of fighting,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 April 1968, page 52.
Death registration [Victoria Bennett], British Columbia Vital Statistics.
Obituary [Victoria Bennett], Winnipeg Free Press, 19 July 1971, page 28.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 24 March 2023
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