Lawyer, judge.
Born in Iceland on 22 April 1887, he came to Saskatchewan at an early age and was educated at Wesley College, receiving the schools’ Gold Medal in 1911. He graduated from the Law School of the University of Saskatchewan in 1914, was called to the Saskatchewan Bar that year, and to the Manitoba Bar in 1919. He was appointed a King’s Counsel in 1932.
He served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War, rising to the rank of Captain. He became active in the Manitoba Liberal Association in the 1920s, serving as Secretary and Vice-President. He was a Liberal candidate for the Winnipeg constituency in the 1927 provincial general election. He was elected President in 1936, a position he held until his appointment to a county court judgeship in 1942. He retired from the Bench in 1962.
On 25 April 1918, he married Jorun Hinrikson. They had two daughters: Anna Ruth Lindal (wife of Douglas Hilland) and Elizabeth Jo Lindal (wife of Robert Brown). He was founder and president of the Citizenship Council of Manitoba, and also founder (1942) and honorary president of the Canada Press Club, the latter an organization representing ethnic newspapers in Winnipeg. He received a City of Winnipeg Community Service Award (1963), a Manitoba Golden Boy Award (196,6) and the Centennial Medal of Honour from the Manitoba Historical Society (1970).
He died at Calgary, Alberta on 28 July 1976.
Attestation Papers, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.
Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“10 honored with Golden Boy awards,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 November 1966.
“Retired judge dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 July 1976.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 30 July 1976, page 23.
“Judge W. J. Lindal,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 July 1976.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 9 February 2024
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