Community activist.
Born at Morris on 23 January 1947, son of Kathleen and Jacob Derksen, he contracted polio in the early 1950s. After completing high school in Morris, he moved to Winnipeg where he obtained a BA degree and did pre-masters work in religious studies. He advocated on behalf of the rights of those with disabilities, being a founding member of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities. In recognition of his community service, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manitoba (2009). He died at Winnipeg on 6 July 2022.
“On the passing of disability rights champion Jim Derksen,” UM News, 8 July 2022.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 9 July 2022.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 9 July 2022
Memorable Manitobans
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