Memorable Manitobans: Charles McClelland Fleming (1905-1975)

Businessman.

Born in Scotland in April 1905, son of Rev. John Dick Fleming (c1863-1938), he came to Winnipeg with his family in 1907. He spent four years working for the Royal Bank of Canada, first as an office boy and later a teller. He also worked in a paper mill at Port Arthur, Ontario while completing grade 12 and one year of Engineering at the University of Manitoba. He was involved in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry for much of his life, initially with the Frigidaire Division of General Motors (1928-1932), Bell Refrigeration Company (1932-1936), and Ashdown Hardware Company (1936-1947). In 1947, he founded Fleming Pedlar Limited (in collaboration with Stan Pedlar) and, two years later, Coldstream Products of Canada Limited. He remained active with the companies to the end of his life, serving as Secretary-Treasurer and President of them, respectively. He served as President of the Canadian Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Association and President of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (Manitoba Chapter). On 27 June 1931, he married Myra May Browne (1906-2006) at Pilot Mound and they had three daughters. He was a member of the Manitoba Club, Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Club of Winnipeg, Winnipeg Canoe Club, West Hawk Lake Yacht Club, Manitoba Sailing Association, Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club, and Gimli Yacht Club. He died at Winnipeg on 8 July 1975.

Sources:

1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Manitoba College portraits [Rev. Dr. J. Dick Fleming],” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 May 1935, page 7.

“Dr. J. D. Fleming, theologist, dies,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 October 1938, page 4.

“Doing business with Havana – ‘Customer is a customer’,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 April 1975, page 10.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 10 July 1975, page 19.

Obituary [Myra May Fleming], Winnipeg Free Press, 2 December 2006, page 43.

We thank James Arnett for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 10 December 2016

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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