Fonds F1012 - Victor Sifton fonds

Victor Sifton (1897-1961) was born at Ottawa. His father, Sir Clifford Sifton was a prominent newspaper owner and publisher and served as Minister of the Interior in Sir Wilfred Laurier's cabinets from 1896 to 1905. Victor's Arts course at the University of Toronto was cut short by the outbreak of World War I. He served in the Canadian Army from 1914-1919, attaining the rank of Major and receiving the D.S.O. for acts of outstanding bravery. After World war I he became publisher of two family newspapers, the Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. In 1935 he moved to Winnipeg as General Manager of the Winnipeg Free Press, then under the editorship of John W. Dafoe. In 1944 he became its publisher. During World War II he served in Ottawa as Master-General of the Ordnance from April 1941 to July 1942. He was President of the Canadian Press, 1948-1950, President of the Canadian Institute of Public Affairs, 1950-1951, Chancellor of the University of Manitoba, 1954-1959. At the time of his death he was editor, publisher and president of the Winnipeg Free Press and Chairman of the Board of F.P. Publications Ltd. which owned and controlled the Winnipeg Free Press, the Ottawa Journal, Victoria Times, Victoria Dailey Colonist, Calgary Albertan, Lethbridge Herald, and the Free Press Weekly Prairie Farmer.