Walter Dinsdale

Walter Gilbert Dinsdale (3 April 1916 – 20 November 1982) was a Canadian politician. He served as a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament from 1951 until his death, and is known for the work he did with people with disabilities.

Early life Born in Brandon, Manitoba, to Minnie (née Lang) and George Dinsdale, 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.

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.

In 1963, while serving as Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources he chaired the "Resources for Tomorrow" conference, which led to the establishment of a Department of the Environment. Dinsdale worked tirelessly for many causes, including First Nations, international human rights, immigrant Canadians and most notably disabled persons. He was vice-chair of the Special Committee on the Disabled, whose work led to many improvements in services for disabled Canadians, and worked with many international governments and organizations to improve the lives of disabled people everywhere, and in 1981 was Canada's delegate to the United Nations for the International Year of Disabled Persons.

Honours The Walter Dinsdale Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in developing technologies that improve the lives of disabled people, is named in his honour.

Dinsdale was awarded a Doctor of Laws degree by Brandon University and a Doctor of Humanities degree from Richmond College in Toronto for his works with disabled people.

Death

He died from kidney failure in 1982, after suffering a stroke about two months before his death. He is buried in Brandon. losing narrowly to Larry Maguire.

Electoral record

Note: This list is incomplete.

Archives There is a Walter Gilbert Dinsdale fonds at Library and Archives Canada.