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Albert Campbell
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Trapper, dog sledder.
Born at St. Laurent on 17 April 1894, eldest son of Jean-Baptiste “John” Campbell (1875-1917) and Madeline Beauchamp Tallenger (1877-1954), he was working as a trapper at The Pas when, in 1916, he won the 150-mile The Pas dog-sled sweepstakes.
The following year, he entered the Red River Derby, a 522-mile, 11-day dog-sled race between Winnipeg and St. Paul, Minnesota. At that time the longest race of its kind in the world, the race was covered by media from around the globe and was later the basis for the 1994 movie, Iron Will. He took first place and his younger brother Gabriel Campbell (1897-1950) finished third. He subsequently gave a husky puppy to the daughter of Canada's Governor General.
Soon after his win, he met an actress, Madeleine Sullivan, at St. Paul, Minnesota. They were married and returned to The Pas. In 1919, he established a trading post at Mile 214 on the Hudson Bay Railway. It was later destroyed by fire. His wife returned to the home of her mother in Chicago and he visited her there several times. He never competed in dogsledding again.
He died at Chicago, Illinois on 14 February 1922 and was buried there.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Death registration [John Campbell], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Winner of Winnipeg to St. Paul dog race,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 February 1917, page 12.
“Lady Maud gets pup from north,” Winnipeg Tribune, 29 March 1917, page 5.
Death certificate, State of Illinois.
“Picturesque figure of northern snows passes,” Saskatoon Star, 14 February 1922, page 7.
Jean-Baptiste “John” Campbell, FindAGrave.
Madeline Beauchamp Tallenger, FindAGrave.
Private Gabriel Campbell, FindAGrave.
This page was prepared by Ralph McLean, Rob McInnes, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 27 February 2026
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