Walter Jacobson Lindal (1887-1976)

Lawyer, judge.

Born in Iceland on 22 April 1887, he came to Saskatchewan at an early age and was educated at Wesley College, receiving the schools’ Gold Medal in 1911. He graduated from the Law School of the University of Saskatchewan in 1914, was called to the Saskatchewan Bar that year, and to the Manitoba Bar in 1919. He served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War One, rising to the rank of Captain. He became active in the Manitoba Liberal Association in the 1920s, serving as Secretary and Vice-President. He was elected President in 1936, a position he held until his appointment to a county court judgeship in 1942. He retired from the Bench in 1962.

On 25 April 1918, he married Jorun Hinrikson. They had two daughters: Anna Ruth Lindal (wife of Douglas Hilland) and Elizabeth Jo Lindal (wife of Robert Brown). He was founder and president of the Citizenship Council of Manitoba, and also founder (1942) and honorary president of the Canada Press Club, the latter an organization representing ethnic newspapers in Winnipeg. He was given a Manitoba Golden Boy Award (1966) and the Centennial Medal of Honour by the Manitoba Historical Society (1970).

He died at Calgary, Alberta on 28 July 1976.

Sources:

Canadian Expeditionary Force, Attestation Papers, Library and Archives Canada

Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Retired judge dies” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 July 1976.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 30 July 1976, page 23.

“Judge W. J. Lindal” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 July 1976.

This profile was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Profile revised: 28 February 2010

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