 |
Edwin Charles Kimelman
|
Lawyer, judge.
Born at Fairlight, Saskatchewan in 1925, he moved with his family to the North End of Winnipeg when he was five years old. During the Second World War, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and served as a transport pilot until the end of the war.
He enrolled in the University of Manitoba and graduated with a BSc degree in Zoology and Botany. He then articled in Law and was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1950. He practiced with the firm of Kopstein Kimelman and Kopstein for many years, specializing in family and criminal law.
In 1975, he gave up his practice when he was named a judge of the Provincial Court, serving as Senior Judge (1977-1983) and Associate Chief Judge (1983-1994). He became an expert in Indigenous issues and was featured on Front Page Challenge and interviewed by Morley Safer on 60 Minutes. He chaired the Review Committee on Indian and Métis Adoptions and Placements, publishing a report in 1985 that was referred to generally as the Kimelman Report. It determined that adoption practices used by Manitoba child welfare organizations constituted cultural genocide. He was a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. He retired from the court in 1999.
In August 1949, he married Zelma Geri “Zel” Mindess (1928-2019) and they subsequently had four children. The family had a cottage on Falcon Lake and he was a member of the Glendale Golf and Country Club. He served as President of the Jewish Child Family Service, and was a board member of Camp Massad, Sharon Home, West Kildonan Community Centre, United Way, University of Manitoba Alumni Association, and Bnai Brith.
He died at Winnipeg on 2 September 2007.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 15 September 2007.
Tales From the Underworld and Other Stories by Roland Penner and Norm Larsen, Winnipeg: Penner and Larsen in association with Heartland Associates, 2009, 192 pages.
Obituary [Zelma Geri Kimelman], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 December 2019.
We thank Jared Marr for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 28 July 2025
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
