Valentine Winkler

Who was Valentine Winkler?

Valentine Winkler was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as a Liberal from 1892 to 1900, and again from 1900 to 1920. Winkler was a cabinet minister in the government of Tobias C. Norris. His brother, Enoch Winkler, was also a member of the provincial legislature from 1888 to 1899.

Winkler was born in Neustadt, Grey County, Canada West, and educated at public schools in the area. He moved to Manitoba in 1879 after the death of his father, and worked in his brother Enoch Winkler's lumberyard. In 1883, he began his own grain and lumber business in Morden. He began farming in 1888. After the incorporation of the Municipality of Stanley in 1890, Winkler was chosen as the community's first reeve. He served in this position until 1892. In the same year, the village of Winkler was established in Manitoba, named after him. He ran a grain elevator and lumber business in the community. Winkler was also an active freemason.

He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1892 provincial election, defeating Conservative candidate N. Bowman by 186 votes to 74 in the constituency of Rhineland. The Liberals won a majority government in this election, and Winkler served as a backbench supporter of Thomas Greenway's government. He was re-elected over Bowman by an increased margin in the 1896 campaign.