Librarian.
Born at Dauphin on 30 November 1914, only child of Katherine Calder “Kate” Walkinshaw (1887-1976) and Otto Edward Heaslip, she spent her childhood enjoying frequent family outings in the nearby Riding Mountains. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1935 from United College (University of Manitoba), and a Bachelor of Library Science degree in 1936 from the University of Toronto. On 2 September 1940, she married civil servant Joseph Murray Robertson (1908-1974) at Clanwilliam and they went on to have four children. The family lived at 241 Kimberley Avenue, East Kildonan.
During her career specializing in children’s literature, she lectured at the University of Manitoba, served as a story consultant for CBC’s school broadcasts, wrote a Winnipeg Tribune column entitled “The Children’s Bookshelf,” gave presentations on television and radio, chaired the Canadian Library Association’s Children’s Section, and established the library at Saint John’s Cathedral Boys’ School. She retired as Children’s Librarian for the City of Winnipeg in 1979, but continued for a number of years lecturing for the University of the North, visiting many Manitoba communities, as well as pursuing fine art studies at the University of Manitoba.
After her husband’s death, she continued to travel extensively until her mid-eighties. She had a passion for flowers which was evident in her gardens and in her photo albums that chronicled her family’s lives.
She died at Kenora, Ontario on 11 November 2009 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.
Birth registration [Helen Stuart Heaslip], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registration [Helen Stuart Heslip, Joseph Murray Robertson], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Obituary [Joseph Murray Robertson], Winnipeg Free Press, 12 December 1974, page 45.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 18 November 2009.
“Helen Stuart Heslip,” Manitoba Marriage Index, 1881-1937.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 7 August 2025
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