Memorable Manitobans: Gordon Brian “Gord” McDiarmid (1941-2021)

Gordon Brian McDiarmid Click to enlarge

Business administrator, historian.

Born at Winnipeg on 29 August 1941, he attended the University of Winnipeg, receiving a double major in Social Science and Group Work, and George Williams College (Chicago, Illinois) where he completed a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology with research and internships at hospitals in Chicago.

Returning to Manitoba, he was President and CEO of U-Rent It Limited and Wallace & Wallace Fencing Limited (1973-1985) and Campaign Director for the United Way of Calgary (1985-1986). In 1986, he became Director of Development at Brandon University, where he established the Brandon University Foundation, serving until 1991 when he returned to Alberta as Vice-President of Development at the Banff Centre. He held this position until 1994 when he became proprietor of Assiniboine Consulting Group Limited at Calgary and Vice-President for Western Canada of Navion Financial Management Limited at Vancouver.

Other positions that he held were Director of Development & Special Projects for Lions Club of Winnipeg (1998-2000), Interim Executive Director and Consultant for the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (2000-2003), and a private fundraising consultant (1995-2006).

In retirement, he conducted research on the history of his ancestors in the building trade in western Canada. It resulted in the 2021 book We Were Builders from Scotland: The Story of One Company that Helped Build Western Canada. It received a Manitoba Day Award from the Association for Manitoba Archives.

He died at Winnipeg on 15 December 2021.

Sources:

Director of development - general files, S. J. McKee Archives, Brandon University.

We thank Doug McDiarmid for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 25 May 2022

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!