Memorable Manitobans: Arthur Edgar Wright (1907-1977)

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Arthur Edgar Wright
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Railwayman, MLA (1958-1959), MLA (1959-1962), MLA (1963-1966).

Born at Winnipeg on 8 November 1907, son of Arthur L. Wright and Mary Ruffles, he was educated at Winnipeg schools. He worked as a supervisor in the mechanical department of the Canadian National Railways. He served as Chairman of the Public Works Department of West Kildonan (1946-1954) and Mayor of West Kildonan (1954-1958).

He was first elected to the Manitoba Legislature at the 1958 general election, being re-elected in 1959 and 1962. He was not a candidate in the 1966 provincial election. In 1970, he became Executive Assistant to the Minister of Labour, holding the position until his death.

On 1 July 1931, he married Pearl Rosina Clegg (1908-1998, daughter of Edgar Clegg of West Kildonan) and they had three children: Shirley Wright (wife of Frank Bell), Marilyn Joan Wright (1936-2019, wife of Raymond Wake), and Donald Arthur Wright (husband of Beverley Hall). He served on the boards of United Way, John Howard Society, and Anatole Senior Citizens Housing. He was a member of the West Kildonan Kiwanis Club, assisting in the restoration and establishment of Seven Oaks House as a community museum.

He died at Winnipeg on 19 May 1977 and was buried in the Kildonan Presbyterian Cemetery. He is commemorated by Arthur E. Wright Community School.

Sources:

The Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1960.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 20 May 1977, page 33.

Obituary [Pearl Rosina Wright], Winnipeg Free Press, 7 February 1998, page 56.

Obituary [Marilyn Joan Wake], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 September 2019.

We thank Janice Grant for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 17 November 2023

Memorable Manitobans

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.

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