Russell Barrett (1889-1959)

Farmer, municipal official.

Born at Deloraine in 1889, he was a farmer in the Deloraine district all his life. He occupied various public offices throughout his adult life. He served on the Council of the Municipality of Winchester from 1925 to 1947 and for twenty-one years occupied the office of Reeve of Winchester. He served as Justiec of the Peace locally in the Deloraine District from 1936 until his death. He served on the Executive of the Union of Manitoba Municipalities for ten years, was its President in 1946 and 1947, and its secretary from 1948 to his death. Following the retirement of John Spalding, another well-known municipal man, Barrett assumed the position of Secretary-Treasurer of the Union in 1948. Other public bodies on which he served included the Manitoba Hospital Advisory Board, the Manitoba Sanitorium Board, the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, the Manitoba Assessment Appeal Board, the Grain Standards Board, and the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce.

An obituary in the Western Municipal News described Barrett as "a quiet-spoken individual, whose wisdom, knowledge and understanding were of a high order, and his knowledge of Western agriculture and municipal administration were such that his advice was sought continuously. He was an excellent speaker with an inimitable touch of humour."

He died on 24 December 1959 at Deloraine, survived by his widow, and one son, James Barrett. At the time of his death Mr. Barrett was secretary of the Union of Manitoba Municipalities and also President of the Western Municipal Union, and was to assume the office of Mayor of Deloraine in January 1960. He had been associated with the Union of Manitoba Municipalities for many years and served as president for two terms in 1946 and 1947.

Source:

Western Municipal News, January 1960, page 26.

Profile revised: 6 October 2009

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