Ryeland Family Tree

The Genealogy of the Ryeland and connected Families

Honourable Charles Dufferin ROBLIN, PC, CC, OM, LLD, DC

Honourable Charles Dufferin ROBLIN, PC, CC, OM, LLD, DC[1]

Male 1917 - 2010  (92 years)

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  • Name Charles Dufferin ROBLIN  [2, 3
    Prefix Honourable 
    Suffix PC, CC, OM, LLD, DC 
    Birth 17 Jun 1917  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Gender Male 
    _UID F090D55E0E35482F8EB85F27075768C2C16A 
    Education Abt 1931  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    St. John 
    • an elite private school, but family finances suffered during The Depression and he had to change schools.
    Education Abt 1932  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Kelvin Technical High School 
    • for Grades 10 and 11
    Education Abt 1934  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    University of Manitoba 
    • He dropped out of the University of Manitoba after a year and instead enrolled in a local business college before heading south to take courses at the business school of the University of Chicago.
    Education Abt 1935  Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    University of Chicago 
    Education Abt 1937  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    University of Manitoba 
    • Eventually, he moved back to Winnipeg to study for a diploma in agriculture at U of M. Equipped with this motley assortment of courses and qualifications, he made an appointment with the president of the U of M and proposed that he had fulfilled the requirements for a university degree. The president begged to differ and quickly showed young Mr. Roblin the door.
    Military 1939-1946  [3, 4
    He served overseas with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War and retired in 1946 as Wing Commander 
    • When the Second World War erupted in 1939, he enlisted in the Canadian Army as a private. Longing to become a pilot, he took private flying lessons and achieved a transfer in the spring of 1940 to the fledgling Royal Canadian Air Force. His eyesight wasn't good enough for him to qualify as a pilot, but he was shipped overseas as a junior officer in 1942 in a tactical and operations unit. Deeply involved in the tactical planning for D-Day, he landed in Normandy on June 30, 1944, and helped chase the retreating Axis forces through France into Holland, all the way to Hamburg, Germany. By the time he was demobilized in 1946, he had the rank of a wing commander in the RCAF.
    Occupation Bef 1949  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Car Dealer 
    Occupation 1949  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    First elected to the Manitoba legislature 
    Occupation 1954  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    He became leader of the provincial Conservatives 
    Occupation 1949-1958  Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Winnipeg South 
    Occupation 30 Jun 1958-27 Nov 1967  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3
    14th Premier of Manitoba 
    Occupation 1958-1968  Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Wolseley 
    Occupation Aft 1968  [4
    Vice-President of Canadian Pacific Investment 
    Occupation 1979-1980  Ottawa, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate 
    Occupation 1980-1984  Ottawa, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Deputy Opposition Leader 
    Occupation 1984  Ottawa, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Leader of the Government in the Senate 
    • to June 29 1986
    Occupation 1978-1992  [3
    Senator for Red River, Manitoba 
    • Appointed by Pierre Trudeau
    Death 30 May 2010  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    • About 6pm

      Victoria General Hospital
    Obituary 31 May 2010  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Winnipeg Free Press 
    • Province loses 'tremendous premier'
      Roblin hailed as visionary leader

      Duff Roblin, Manitoba's 14th premier from 1958 to 1967, died Sunday evening.

      The Greatest Manitoban died late Sunday afternoon almost at the moment that Duff's Ditch was once again rescuing Winnipeg

      Duff Roblin, our 14th premier from 1958 to 1967, died about 6 p.m. Sunday in Victoria General Hospital with his daughter Jennifer by his side, said Roblin's longtime friend Bill Neville.

      Roblin, who would have turned 93 next month, will be forever remembered for relentlessly pursuing and achieving his vision of a floodway to carry the Red River around the city of Winnipeg, a quest he launched as an opposition backbencher shortly after the devastating 1950 flood.

      Sunday afternoon was one of the countless times the floodway has been operated to avert possible disaster after near-record rainfall this weekend unleashed torrents of water into the Red.

      When the Winnipeg Free Press published The Greatest Manitobans book in 2008, the province's citizens named Roblin as our Greatest Manitoban.

      Roblin was ridiculed mercilessly in the early 1950s, recalled Neville: "It was unnecessary, it wouldn't work, or it would cost too much, or all three."

      Roblin went on to become premier in 1958, the promise of a floodway one of his key election planks. And Roblin lived every politician's dream of being derided, struggling, and eventually being vindicated, said Neville.

      Vindicated indeed.

      Flood-threatened communities from all over North America come here to study Duff's Ditch, provincial flood forecaster Alf Warkentin said Sunday.

      The floodway was ready for the ominous 1969 flood, Warkentin said. "We've had about 10 serious floods that the floodway has protected the city from," none more potentially catastrophic than the 1997 Flood of the Century.

      "It's a great loss
    Charles Dufferin Roblin_portrait.jpg
    Charles Dufferin Roblin_portrait.jpg
    Obituary 1 Jun 2010  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Winnipeg Free Press 
    • THE HONOURABLE DUFF ROBLIN PC, CC, OM, LLD, DCL 1917 - 2010 Following a brief illness, Duff Roblin died peacefully in the late afternoon of May 30, 2010 at the Victoria Hospital. He is survived by his wife Mary; his son Andrew of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, his former daughter-in-law Patricia, and grandchildren Lily and Rachel; his daughter Jennifer of Toronto (Craig Lathrop), grandchildren Sian, Bronwen, and Euan; his sister Marcia of Barrie, Ontario and his brother Rod of Winnipeg; and numerous nieces and nephews. Born June 17, 1917 in Winnipeg, the son of Charles D. and Sophia May Roblin and the grandson of Sir R. P. Roblin, Premier of Manitoba from 1900 to 1915, Duff Roblin was educated in Winnipeg schools and studied at the University of Manitoba and the University of Chicago. He was first elected to the Manitoba Legislature as an Independent Progressive Conservative in 1949 and was re-elected in five subsequent general elections. Chosen leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1954, he was elected premier in 1958, which office he held until he retired from office in 1967. The reform, improvement and expansion of the educational system in all its aspects was his first priority and was the achievement from which he derived the greatest satisfaction. However, his initiative in advocating and building the Red River Floodway, and the Floodway's subsequent positive impact, caught the public imagination in an enduring way and, became an important element of his legacy as a public man. In 2001, the Floodway was declared a National Historic Site in recognition of it as an outstanding example of Canadian engineering and technology and in recognition of its broader significance in humankind's age-old struggle to find accommodation with nature. Appointed to the Senate in 1978, he was an active member until 1992. He served as Leader of the Government in the Senate from 1984 to 1986. Following his retirement he chaired an important provincial commission on post-secondary education in which he returned to the over-riding focus of his whole public life. There will be a private funeral service. A Book of Condolence will be open in the rotunda of the Manitoba Legislature. Flowers are gratefully declined. Those wishing to commemorate his life and career may wish to consider donations to the Duff Roblin Scholarship Fund at the University of Winnipeg, the Duff Roblin Professorship at the University of Manitoba or the Duff Roblin Fellowship Fund at the University of Manitoba. THOMSON FUNERAL HOME 669 BROADWAY, WINNIPEG, MB R3C OX4 783-7211 Condolences may be sent to www.thomsonfuneralchapel.com
    Duff Roblin Obit Pic.jpg
    Duff Roblin Obit Pic.jpg
    Person ID I9912  Ryeland Family Tree
    Last Modified 5 Dec 2022 

    Father Charles Dufferin ROBLIN,   b. 10 Aug 1892, Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1973 (Age 80 years) 
    Mother Sophia May MURDOCH,   b. 6 May 1891, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 Jan 1974 (Age 82 years) 
    Marriage 14 Sep 1915  Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Family ID F2993  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Mary Linda MCKAY 
    Children 
    +1. Stephen Andrew ROBLIN
    +2. Jennifer ROBLIN
    Last Modified 27 Nov 2014 
    Family ID F3121  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 17 Jun 1917 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsEducation - St. John - Abt 1931 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsEducation - Kelvin Technical High School - Abt 1932 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsEducation - University of Manitoba - Abt 1934 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsEducation - University of Chicago - Abt 1935 - Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsEducation - University of Manitoba - Abt 1937 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Car Dealer - Bef 1949 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - First elected to the Manitoba legislature - 1949 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - He became leader of the provincial Conservatives - 1954 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Winnipeg South - 1949-1958 - Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - 14th Premier of Manitoba - 30 Jun 1958-27 Nov 1967 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Wolseley - 1958-1968 - Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate - 1979-1980 - Ottawa, , Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Deputy Opposition Leader - 1980-1984 - Ottawa, , Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Leader of the Government in the Senate - 1984 - Ottawa, , Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 30 May 2010 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsObituary - Winnipeg Free Press - 31 May 2010 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsObituary - Winnipeg Free Press - 1 Jun 2010 - Winnipeg, , Manitoba, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    Duff Roblin.jpg
    Duff Roblin.jpg
    Duff Roblin2.jpg
    Duff Roblin2.jpg
    Duff Roblin3.jpg
    Duff Roblin3.jpg
    Duff Roblin4.jpg
    Duff Roblin4.jpg

  • Notes 
    • He is probably best-known for his role in urging, against considerable opposition, the construction of the Red River Floodway, which since its completion in 1968 has repeatedly saved the city from flooding, and is considered a model of its kind. He is the author of Speaking for Myself: Politics and Other Pursuits (Winnipeg, 1999) [1, 2]

  • Sources 
    1. [S194] Linda Herman, Roblin Family Pioneer Families of Ontario, (URL: http://users.erols.com/herman/roblin/roblin.html).

    2. [S293] John Blythe Dobson, Ancestor Table for the Hon. Duff Roblin, Premier of Manitoba, (URL: http://cybrary.uwinnipeg.ca/people/dobson/Manitobiana/issues/001.cfm).

    3. [S274] Winnipeg Free Press, ((winnipegfreepress.com)), ). (Reliability: 3).

    4. [S988] Dufferin Roblin Wikipedia Article, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dufferin_Roblin : May 31 2010), ) (Reliability: 3).


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