John Spalding (1886-1954)

Municipal official.

Born in Arborath, Forfarshire, Scotland on 20 February 1886, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Spalding, he was educated in Arborath then articled in the Dundee law office of Edward Cowan for six years. He immigrated to Canada in 1906 and took up a farmstead near Birtle, Manitoba and also worked with thefirm of Wilson & Glenn, barristers of Russell. In 1916, he moved to Miniota and took over the duties of notary public and conveyancer from D. A. F. Dickson (who had been killed in World War One). Four years later, he became the Secretary-Treasurer to the Rural Municipality of Miniota and held this office until 1948. He also served as Secretary of the village of Miniota (26 years), Secretary of the Miniota Agricultural Society, Secretary-Treasurer of the Miniota Municipal School Board, Secretary of the Curling Club, President of the Tennis Club, Secretary of the Sports Committee of the Memorial Fund and of the Rink Committee, a Member of the AF & AM, Past Master of Miniota Lodge, No. 102, and Secretary-Treasurer of the Miniota United Church (25 years). He was Miniota postmaster for 16 years, Returning Officer for the Marquette federal constituency, and an early member of the Manitoba Municipal Secretary-Treasurers Association, in whose ranks he was later made an honorary member. He served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Union of Manitoba Municipalities from 1931 to 1948. Late in his life, he was appointed to theMunicipal and Public Utility Board of Manitoba, of which he was Acting Chairman at the time of his death.

He was married to Lottie Midwinter, and they had had four sons and a daughter.

He died in Winnipeg on 16 July 1954, after a brief illness.

Sources:

Western Municipal News, August 1954, page 227.

Profile revised: 9 May 2008

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