Fonds consists of personal series; ministerial series concerning the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources; subject series; Salvation Army series; rehabilitation movement series; Progressive Conservative Party series; election series; constituency series; speech series; scrapbooks.
Sound recordings consist of speeches, interviews, talks, musical recordings and other personal and family recordings pertaining to Walter Dinsdale, 1955-1980.
The fonds contains photographs which depict the activities of Walter Dinsdale and family; four cartoons concerning Dinsdale, drawn by Peter Kuch ; and two World War II postcards which belonged to Mr. Dinsdale.
The fonds also consists of a film depicting the opening of Parliament; a trip to Newfoundland; PC Leadership Convention; and a film of Walter Dinsdale and friends during his Air Force days in England, 1942-1956.
Dinsdale, Walter, 1916-1982 : Walter Gilbert Dinsdale, politician, was born in 1916 at Brandon, Manitoba. After completing a B.A. at Brandon College, he attended the Salvation Army Training College, 1939-1940, and was commissioned as a captain, 1940. He worked in Montreal and Toronto prior to his enlistment in the Royal Canadian Air Force, 1941. He served with the 410 Squadron in England and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his part in Allied operations in Northwestern Europe. Following his return from overseas, Dinsdale attended the University of Toronto, completing an M.A. in sociology. He taught at Brandon College, Brandon, Man., 1946-1951. He was a member of Parliament representing Brandon-Souris, Man., 1951-1982. He served as a parliamentary assistant, 1957-1958, parliamentary secretary, 1959-1960, to the Minister of Veteran Affairs; and was a member of the Privy Council and appointed Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources, 1960-1963.
Dinsdale's range of interests extended far beyond his political duties. He maintained a close relationship with the Salvation Army and other spiritual organizations, such as the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews; he was a strong supporter of the Prayer Breakfast, both in Canada and the United States; he had a lengthy affiliation with Brandon College/University and Richmond College; and he was a strong activist in the national and international rehabilitation movements for the handicapped. As well, he had a lifelong interest in music and played in family circles and in various Salvation Army bands.
