Municipal official, civil servant, community activist.
Born at Pembroke, Ontario on 5 August 1938, eldest of six children of Joseph Farrell and Catherine Coyne, the family lived at several places in northern Ontario. He graduated from high school at Welland, Ontario in 1956 and studied business in New York State. A summer job at the International Nickel Company (INCO) turned into permanent employment.
In 1959, he moved to Thompson where a new INCO mine was being developed. There, he met nurse Marlene Jonsson, they married and had three children. He served on the municipal council and was Mayor of Thompson (1973-1977).
In 1978, he was promoted to Superintendent of Safety and Protection at the INCO mine and was active in the Provincial Mine Rescue Association. He moved to Winnipeg in 1989 as Executive Director of Workplace Safety and Health. He was later interim Chief Executive Officer of the Workers Compensation Board, and still later Assistant Deputy Minister of Labour, retiring in 2002 as Deputy Minister of Labour.
In retirement he operated a consulting and labour mediation business, was active with the Charleswood Rotary Club and St. John's Ambulance, and served as Reeve of Victoria Beach and President of the Manitoba Association of Senior Centres (2020-2021).
He died at Winnipeg on 14 May 2022.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 21 May 2022.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 21 May 2022
Memorable Manitobans
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