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Thomas Francis Copeland
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Accountant, municipal official.
Born at Transcona on 18 July 1925, son of James and Christine Copeland, he spent his entire life in Transcona and Dugald except for three years in Ottawa. Educated at the Transcona Central School and the Transcona Collegiate, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943. He was a Wireless Air Gunner with the No. 429 Bison Squadron, 6 Group Bomber Command. Following his military discharge in 1945, he completed a second year of science at United College.
He worked for the T. Eaton Company (1948-1950) then began working in accounting in 1951. Four years later, he joined the staff of the Winnipeg District Taxation Office where he was a business assessor for two years then transferred to the Special Investigations Branch until resignation in October 1959.
He served as Mayor of Transcona (1960-1961), during which he had his own accounting and auditing practice in Transcona. In 1970, he joined the accounting firm of Campbell Sharpe and also worked for the federal government as a member of a commission on banking reform. He stood as Liberal candidate for the Provencher constituency in the 1974 federal general election but was defeated by incumbent Jake Epp.
He and wife Rene Collett (?-1989) had no children. He was founding Treasurer of the Manitoba Opera Association and a member of the Transcona-Springfield School Division Education Foundation, Royal Canadian Legion (Transcona Branch #7), St. George’s Anglican Church, Transcona Golf Club (President), Transcona Curling Club, Odd Fellows (Noble Grand), Transcona Chamber of Commerce, and Kiwanis Club of Transcona. After retirement, he obtained a Bachelor of Theology degree.
He died at Winnipeg on 21 January 1998. He is commemorated by Thomas F. Copeland Memorial Park in Winnipeg.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Thomas F. Copeland Memorial Park (300 Larche Avenue West, Winnipeg)
“Golden Jubilee Mayor,” Transcona News, Golden Jubilee Edition, 8 June 1961.
“PCs expected to maintain margin,” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 June 1974, page 16.
Obituary [Rene Copeland], Winnipeg Free Press, 14 February 1989, page 34.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 26 January 1998, page 13.
We thank Nathan Kramer and Glen Toews for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 22 September 2025
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