Fonds F2363 - Walter Gilbert Dinsdale fonds

Born in Brandon, Manitoba, he graduated from Brandon College and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1937 from McMaster University. He received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1951.

Dinsdale was a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) from 1951 until his death in 1982. During his tenure in the Canadian House of Commons, he represented the electoral riding of Brandon for one year in 1951 until it was merged with the electoral riding of Souris, and represented the merged riding of Brandon—Souris from 1952 until his death in 1982.

During his period as MP, he was the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Veterans Affairs in 1957 and, Parliamentary Secretary to the same minister in 1960. He then joined the Cabinet of John Diefenbaker as Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources from 1960 to 1963. He was also Acting Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys for a few months in 1961.

Prior to entering politics, Dinsdale was a social worker with the Salvation Army and, from 1946 to 1951, the Director of Adult Education and Assistant Professor of Social Services at Brandon College. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross during World War II for his service as a de Havilland Mosquito night-fighter pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

He died from kidney failure in 1982 after suffering a stroke about two months before his death. He was married to Lenore and had five children: Gunnar, Gregory, Elizabeth, Eric and Rolf.

(Bio note copied from Wikipedia)