Memorable Manitobans: Ernest Seaforth Parker (1880-1946)

Grain broker.

Born at Windsor, Nova Scotia on 3 December 1880, son of Edgar and Eliza Ann Parker, he was brought to Winnipeg by his parents at the age of 3, who afterwards farmed near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He first worked as a clerk in a real estate office then delivered telegraph messages for two years. He was first exposed to the grain business when he took a job as a telegraph operator in the office of J. D. O'Brien. He commenced a career in stock broking in 1898, becoming a vessel agent in 1906 and, a year later, establishing his own grain brokerage. He became a member of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange in 1907 and served as its Vice-President in 1930. In 1906, he married Emma L. Betts of Fort William, Ontario. They had no children. In 1931, he lost an eye in an automobile accident in which his companion Frederick J. Anderson was killed. His home near Sturgeon Creek was known for its extensive floral gardens. He had a library of some 5,000 volumes and was especially interested in Manitoba history, having given a presentation on Louis Riel to the St. Boniface Historical Society. He was a member of the AF & AM and the Shriners. He died at his Winnipeg home on 24 October 1946 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.

Sources:

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, edited by C. W. Parker, Vancouver: Canadian Press Association, 1911.

“E. S. Parker grain man is dead,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 October 1946. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B9]

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 9 May 2023

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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