Memorable Manitobans: William Iverach (1865-1947)

William Iverach Click to enlarge

School trustee.

Born at Caithness, Scotland on 25 June 1865, he took over the family farm at the age of 17 following the death of his father. He came to Canada in 1884 and, after four years in Michigan and Western Canada, he took up a homestead between Hamiota and Miniota.

In 1893, he was elected a trustee of a one-room school in the district and, in 1907, became a member of the executive of the Manitoba School Trustees Association at its first organizational meeting in Brandon. He served with the organization for almost 25 years and was both Vice-President and President. He was also President of the Dominion School Trustees’ Association. In 1919 he was a leader in the establishment of the Miniota Municipal School Board, considered to be a model for rural school consolidation. He was a member of the Advisory Board for the Department of Education from 1911 to 1924, and a member of the Board of Governors for the University of Manitoba from 1917 to 1922. In 1942, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manitoba.

In 1922, he stood for election to the Manitoba Legislature on behalf of the Birtle constituency but was defeated by W. J. Short. He was also defeated by H. A. Mullins in the 1925 federal election for the Marquette constituency.

He died at his home at Isabella, Manitoba on 18 August 1947.

Sources:

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

“William Iverach, pioneer in rural education, dies”, Winnipeg Tribune, 19 August 1947. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B9]

This profile was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Profile revised: 4 October 2012

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