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Parks 50th Celebration
- Born in 1923, Walter Danyluk was raised on the edge of today’s Whiteshell Provincial Park in Rennie, Manitoba. His first job as a teenager was as a Fire Lookout in the Whiteshell area. Walter eventually became a forest fire control specialist in the Department of Mines and Natural Resources and served as the Chief Forester of the Whiteshell Provincial Forest. He obtained his Master’s in Resource Development from Michigan State University and returned to Manitoba to become the Chief of the Parks Division of the Forestry Branch.
- Walter was responsible for the planning and management of construction work in Manitoba’s forest reserves and recreation areas. He also participated in laying the groundwork and preparing the legislation for the creation of a provincial park system in Manitoba.
- When the government formally established the provincial parks system in 1960, Walter Danyluk was appointed Director of the newly formed Parks Branch. He held this position for 10 years and was responsible for establishing and managing a park system comprised of nine provincial parks, 30 recreation areas and numerous highway waysides. Walter thought it was very important that people witness the maturing and renewal process of flora and fauna and parks were the perfect setting for this.
- In 1973, Walter was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. During his five years in this position, he was involved in the creation and development of Birds Hill and Hecla Island Provincial Parks.
- After leaving Manitoba in 1978, he undertook postgraduate studies in the USA and returned to Canada to work for Alberta Parks, supervising construction work in Kananaskis Provincial Park. In the mid-1980s, Walter worked as a consultant for Parks Canada for two years before retiring. Sadly Walter passed away October 15, 2003.
- Born on June 17, 1917 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and educated at the University of Manitoba and the University of Chicago. Dufferin worked as a car dealer before entering politics, and served as a Wing Commander in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1940 to 1946.
- Known as "Duff," he served as the 14th Premier of Manitoba from 1958 to 1967, He was appointed to the Canadian Senate on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He served as Senate Leader in the government of Brian Mulroney.
- With the foresight of the Honourable Duff Roblin, his government upgraded highways, created parks, and built the Red River Floodway around Winnipeg, popularly known as "Duff's Ditch".
- Duff Roblin reminds us of what it means to be a visionary. A man of action, Duff saw what could be and inspired a province. In 2008, the Government of Canada recognized his achievements with the creation of a new Duff Roblin Provincial Park.
