Memorable Manitobans: James Gordon “Jim” Smith (1932-2001)

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James Gordon Smith
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Lawyer, judge.

Born at Winnipeg on 22 January 1932, son of George and Bertha Smith, his early education was obtained at Glenwood School, Lord Selkirk School, and Gordon Bell High School, with a BA from United College and LLB from the University of Manitoba. After practicing law from 1958 to 1982 with the firm of Bowles, Pybus, Gallagher and Chornous, and then with Pybus, Chornous and Smith, he was appointed a Judge of the County Court of Manitoba, and after a merger in 1984, he became a Justice of the Court of Queens Bench of Manitoba, retiring in October 1998.

He served as a trustee for the East Kildonan School District and the River East School Division, where he was Chairman (1967-1971). He was a councillor of the City of Winnipeg (1971-1974), served on the Winnipeg Committee on Conflict of Interest, Board of Regents of the University of Winnipeg, Age and Opportunity Bureau, Kiwanis Centre of the Deaf, Metropolitan Kiwanis Courts, Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation, Winnipeg Industrial Development Board, Manitoba Health Organization, Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, Concordia Hospital Board and Concordia Hospital Foundation, Henderson Regional Library, East Kildonan Parks Board, Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, and City of Winnipeg Board of Revision. His special interests were the Kiwanis Club of East Kildonan of which he was a member for 43 years (President in 1963), Immanuel United Church as a choir member and trustee, Knowles Centre, and the Gilbert and Sullivan Singers. He was Liberal candidate for the Kildonan constituency in the 1966 provincial general election and served many roles in the Liberal Party prior to his appointment to the bench.

On 30 April 1955, he married Jean Margaret Lumsden (1934-2019, daughter of William Edward Lumsden) and they had three children, including James William Smith.

He died at Winnipeg on 10 April 2001.

Sources:

“Mrs. Lumsden holds trousseau reception,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 April 1955, page 10.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 12 April 2001.

Obituary [Jean M. Smith], Winnipeg Free Press, 30 April 2019.

We thank Jim Smith for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 1 October 2023

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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