Memorable Manitobans: Isaac Benjamin “Ben” Dembinsky (1885-1960)

Businessman, municipal official.

Born at Cornwall, Ontario in 1885, he came to The Pas in 1914 where he worked as a teamster and established a trading business. By 1918, he was sufficiently settled that he was able to bring his wife Anna (1917-1977), son Isador D. “Sonny” Dembinsky (?-1969) and daughter Vera Dembinsky (?-1967) to join him. Second son Frank Dembinsky (1921-?, who later served as Mayor of Flin Flon) was born at The Pas. His company, the Western Trading Company, thrived and opened stores at Herb Lake (1922), Nelson House (1922), Churchill, Cranberry Portage, and Flin Flon (1928). Eventually, the stores at Flin Flon and The Pas operated as Ben Dembinsky Limited. In 1927, he became a member of the The Pas town council, and served as Mayor of The Pas from 1938 to 1947, and again from 1952 to 1957. He was a member of the Elks and Rotary Club. He died at The Pas on 18 September 1960 and was buried in the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery.

Sources:

“He came to The Pas when life was hard,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 September 1960.

Obituary [Isador Dembinsky], Winnipeg Free Press, 19 August 1969, page 23.

Obituary [Anna Dembinsky], Winnipeg Free Press, 4 February 1977, page 73.

“Pioneer merchant” by Frank Fieber, North Roots, June/July 2008, page 34.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

Isaac Benjamin Dembinsky, Find-A-Grave.

We thank Ralph McLean for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 2 July 2019

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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