D'Alton Corry Coleman (July 9, 1879October 17, 1956) was a Canadian railway executive and businessman. He began working for the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

(CPR) in 1899, and was promoted through its ranks until serving as president from 1942 to 1947. He oversaw expansion which added of

branch line A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Branch lines may serve one or more industries, or a city or town not located ...

s in the

Canadian Prairies The Canadian Prairies (usually referred to as simply the Prairies in Canada) is a region in Western Canada. It includes the Canadian portion of the Great Plains and the Prairie provinces, namely Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. These provin ...

, and guided

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...

railways through the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. He developed the CPR to support logistics during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, including manufacture of

munitions Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of ...

, expanded shipbuilding and established one of the country's first private

blood donation A 'blood donation'' occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions and/or made into biopharmaceutical medications by a process called fractionation (separation of whole blood components). A donation may be of wh ...

clinics.

Canadian Pacific Air Lines Canadian Pacific Air Lines was a Canadian airline that operated from 1942 to 1987. It operated under the name CP Air from 1968 to 1986. Headquartered at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Richmond, British Columbia, ...

was established under his leadership, and he became chairman of the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company, Canadian Pacific Hotels and other subsidiaries. He maintained good relations between the CPR and its unionized workers and believed in promoting from within the company. Coleman developed a love for reading history at a young age, became city editor of '' The Belleville Intelligencer'' by age 18, and kept a large personal library on Canadiana. He was the father of sports journalist Jim Coleman, served as the vice-president of the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

, and owned a

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

stable which produced the winner of the 1943 Canadian Derby. Coleman had a long association of community service with the Navy League of Canada, and served in executive positions on multiple financial institutions including the

Bank of Montreal The Bank of Montreal (, ), abbreviated as BMO (pronounced ), is a Canadian multinational Investment banking, investment bank and financial services company. The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank, making it Canada ...

and the

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company MetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), better known as MetLife, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs, w ...

. He served on the board of governors for the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

and the University of Bishop's College; and received honorary law degrees from Manitoba and Bishop's. He was made a Knight of Grace in The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in 1943, and appointed a Companion of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...

in 1946.

Early life and education

D'Alton Corry Coleman was born on July 9, 1879, in

Carleton Place Carleton Place is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in Lanark County, about west of downtown Ottawa. It is located at the crossroads of Highway 15 and Highway 7, halfway between the towns of Perth, Almonte, Smiths Falls, and the nation's capi ...

, Ontario. He was the oldest son in a family including six boys and one girl, to parents James Coleman and Mary Jane Doherty, who were first generation

Irish Canadians Irish Canadians () are Canadian citizens who have full or partial Irish heritage including descendants who trace their ancestry to immigrants who originated in Ireland. 1.2 million Irish immigrants arrived from 1825 to 1970, and at least half o ...

. At age four, his family relocated to Braeside, where he attended elementary school. As a youth, he enjoyed reading history books, ''

Blackwood's Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by publisher William Blackwood and originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine'', but quickly relaunched as ''Blackwood's Edinb ...

'', and had a subscription to '' The Times of London'' by age 13. McNab-Braeside

Coleman attended Arnprior District High School by walking five miles each day, and played football and baseball at school. During summers he worked 11 hours per day at a local

lumber yard A lumber yard is a location where lumber and wood-related products used in construction and/or home improvement projects are processed or stored. Some lumber yards offer retail sales to consumers, and some of these may also provide services s ...

, earning C$12 per month as a

tallyman A tallyman is an individual who keeps a numerical record with tally marks, historically often on tally sticks. Vote counter In Ireland, it is common for political parties to provide private observers when ballot boxes are opened. These ''tally ...

checking freight on

flatcar A flatcar (US) (also flat car, or flatbed) is a piece of rolling stock that consists of an open, flat deck mounted on trucks (US) or bogies (UK) at each end. Occasionally, flat cars designed to carry extra heavy or extra large loads are mounted ...

s. He left school at age 15 to work full-time at the lumber yard with a raise to $30 per month. Coleman saved his money from work then attended Belleville Business College to learn

shorthand Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to Cursive, longhand, a more common method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Gr ...

. After completing business college, he worked one year as a secretary for

George Albertus Cox George Albertus Cox (7 May 1840 – 16 January 1914) was a very prominent Canadian businessman and a member of the Senate of Canada. Life and career He was born in Colborne, Upper Canada, in 1840. He began work as a telegrapher for the Mont ...

and Edward Rogers Wood at Central Canada Loan and Savings Company in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. Coleman turned to

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

and became a reporter for '' The Belleville Intelligencer''. Six months later, he was promoted to be city editor at age 18. He later worked for the '' Port Huron Times'' as an editor. Coleman quit the newspaper business after two years and was accepted for an advertised position in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

. He spent his life savings on a rail ticket to get there, and turned down the job when he found out it was for selling pills. After a night of roaming the streets Buffalo to keep warm, he visited a restaurant where the female owner listened to his story, fed him a large breakfast and gave him money for a rail ticket to get to his relatives in

Sarnia Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes, ...

Canadian Pacific Railway career

Early years in Western Canada

Coleman began working for the

(CPR) on November 4, 1899, as an assistant engineer's clerk in Fort William. From 1899 to 1907, he moved around as a clerk and accountant based in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, then Cranbrook and North Bay. He became the superintendent of the Kootenay Division based in

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

in 1907, then superintendent of railcar service in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

then Winnipeg in 1908. He was promoted to general superintendent in Winnipeg in 1912, then held the same position in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

in 1913, and return to Winnipeg in 1915 as the assistant general manager. In October 1918, Coleman was appointed the vice-president of Western Lines. Then CPR president Lord Shaughnessy predicted that Coleman would one day become president of the company. Coleman was in charge of all CPR trackage from the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

and oversaw expansion which added of

s in the

. He guided the Western Lines through the

making adjustments to services due to declining revenues.

CPR executive in Montreal

Coleman became vice-president of the CPR in October 1934 and relocated to

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

. He gradually assumed more responsibilities as the health of president Edward Wentworth Beatty worsened. As the senior vice-president during the beginning of

, he oversaw expansion of CPR operations and upgrade of equipment to meet increased demand by war time logistics. Coleman also served as chairman of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, and as a director of the

West Kootenay Power and Light FortisBC is a British Columbia based regulated utility that provides natural gas and electricity. FortisBC has approximately 2,600 employees serving more than 1.2 million customers in 135 B.C. communities and 58 First Nations communities across 1 ...

, both as part of the CPR supply chain. He was involved in the management of multiple railroad partners, including as director of

Northern Alberta Railways Northern Alberta Railways was a Canadian railway which served northern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia. Jointly owned by both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, NAR existed as a separate company from 1929 until 19 ...

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM; ) was a Class I railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Midwestern United States. Commonly known since its opening in 1884 as the Soo Line after the phonetic sp ...

and Toronto Terminals Railway; and served as vice-president of the

Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway The Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway was a railway based in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton that ran in Southern Ontario from 1892 to 1987. It never reached the other two cities in its name although it had branch lines extending to Dunnville, O ...

and the Calgary and Edmonton Railway. He was president of the ground transport division of CPR, known as the Canadian Pacific Express Company, and was chairman and director of Associated Screen News of Canada which was operated by the CPR. In May 1942, Coleman became the fifth president of CPR when he was appointed at age 63. A year later he was named chairman of the board of governors on May 5, 1943. He was the first CPR president who was not listed in ''

Burke's Peerage Burke's Peerage Limited is a British genealogical publisher, considered an authority on the order of precedence of noble families and information on the lesser nobility of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1826, when the Anglo-Irish genea ...

'', and was described by ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...

'' as "the Great

Commoner A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither ...

Bristol 175 Srs 314 CF-CZW CPAL Ringway 05

Coleman also became chairman of the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company, and president of the Canadian Australasian Line which was formerly the Canadian-Australian Royal Mail Steam Ship Company. He oversaw the establishment of

in 1942, and became its chairman after the CPR absorbed Canadian Airways and nine other companies.Canadian Pacific: Our History
, cpr.ca. Retrieved April 12, 2020. During World War II, Coleman oversaw manufacturing of

at the

CPR Angus Shops The CPR Angus Shops in Montreal were a railcar manufacturing, repairing and selling facility of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Production mainly consisted of passenger cars, freight cars and locomotives. Built in 1904 and named for founder, Richar ...

in Montreal and CPR Ogden Shops in Calgary, and expanded shipbuilding to assist the

Allies of World War II The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international Coalition#Military, military coalition formed during World War II (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers. Its principal members were the "Four Policeme ...

and replacement of steamships lost to enemy attacks. He also used the Angus Shops to establish one of the country's first private

clinics in co-operation with the

Canadian Red Cross The Canadian Red Cross Society () The CPR replaced 12 of its ships that were sunk, flew its planes on the Atlantic Bridge, moved of freight, and produced

Valentine tank The Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during World War II. More than 8,000 Valentines were produced in eleven marks, plus specialised variants, accounting for about a quarter of wartime Britis ...

s at its Angus Shops until 1943. The CPR owned and operated a chain of Canadian Pacific Hotels across the country. Coleman served as president of the

Hotel Vancouver The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, formerly and still informally called the Hotel Vancouver, is a historic hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia. Located along West Georgia Street the hotel is situated within the city's Financial District, in Downto ...

Company, a director of the

Château Frontenac The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, commonly referred to as the Château Frontenac (), is a historic hotel in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The hotel is situated in Old Quebec, within the historic district's Upper Town, on the southern side of Pl ...

Company, and president of the Seigniory Club based at the

Château Montebello The Fairmont Le Château Montebello, formerly and commonly known as the Château Montebello, is a historic hotel and resort complex in Montebello, Quebec, Montebello, Quebec, Canada. The resort complex includes a large game reserve and a large woo ...

. In 1943 and 1944, the

Government of Canada The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...

wanted exclusive use of the Château Frontenac for war time meetings that became the

First Quebec Conference The First Quebec Conference, codenamed Quadrant, was a highly secret military conference held during World War II by the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. It took place in Quebec City on August 17–24, 1943, at bo ...

and the

Second Quebec Conference Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone">Princess Alice, and Clementine Churchill during the conference. The Second Quebec Conference (codenamed "OCTAGON") was a high-level military conference held during World War II by the British and American ...

. Coleman negotiated usage by the government via the under

Secretary of State for Canada The Secretary of State for Canada, established in 1867 with a corresponding department, was a Canadian Cabinet position that served as the official channel of communication between the Dominion of Canada and the Imperial government in London. Sco ...

who was his younger brother, Ephraim Herbert Coleman, and requested not be told any

classified information Classified information is confidential material that a government deems to be sensitive information which must be protected from unauthorized disclosure that requires special handling and dissemination controls. Access is restricted by law or ...

nor why the hotel was wanted. Coleman maintained good relations between the CPR and its unionized workers. He felt that the company should "treat all employees with fairness, frankness and consideration". His experience in working up the ranks of CPR led him to believe that, "the great majority resent being patronized, want to be recognized as self-respecting citizens, and treated accordingly". He believed in building human resources from within the CPR and giving authority to the right men. Coleman retired from the CPR on February 1, 1947, and remained a company director for life.

Other business interests

Coleman maintained other business interests including the financial sector. He was a president and director of The Scottish Mortgage and Trust Company Limited when it ventured into North America. He served as a director of the

of New York, the

and Royal Trust. He also served as a director for the

Canadian Marconi Company CMC Electronics Inc. () is a Canadian avionics manufacturer. The company's main manufacturing facility is located in Montreal, Quebec with additional facilities located in Ottawa, Ontario and Sugar Grove, Illinois. History The company was f ...

which operated

wireless telegraphy Wireless telegraphy or radiotelegraphy is the transmission of text messages by radio waves, analogous to electrical telegraphy using electrical cable, cables. Before about 1910, the term ''wireless telegraphy'' was also used for other experimenta ...

, and was a member of the Canadian committee for the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

. When the

Western Canada Hockey League The Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), founded in 1921–22 WCHL season, 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925 and disbanded in 1926. ...

was in financial trouble during 1926, Coleman offered assistance to the league but his letter to

Lester Patrick Curtis Lester Patrick (December 31, 1883 – June 1, 1960) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA; Western Hockey League (WHL) after ...

and Frank Patrick arrived too late and the league disbanded. After moving to Montreal, Coleman became a director of the Canadian Arena Company and was a vice-president of the

. The company had built the Montreal Forum which was the home arena to the Canadiens. Coleman owned a

stable and several

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

s. He owned Western Prince which won the Canadian Derby in 1943 at the Polo Park Racetrack in Winnipeg. According to an article in ''

'', his horses were supported by fellow CPR employees and a porter once reportedly said to a passenger "See, sir, our horse won today".

Governor of universities

Coleman served as chairman of the board of governors of the

from 1933 to 1934. His leadership coincided with guiding the university through the financial strain of the Great Depression. After relocating to Montreal in 1934, he served as a governor of

and was on the executive committee of University of Bishop's College. He stated in a 1944 interview that, "humanities should be sacrificed to so-called practical courses" and that "our medical men, engineers and others should have the best training obtainable in the world".

Community involvement

Coleman served as president of the Manitoba division of the Navy League of Canada for 10 years. He also served as a governor for the Montreal division of the Navy League of Canada. Under his leadership, the Canadian

Navy League Cadet Corps The U.S. Navy League Cadet Corps (also known as the United States Naval League Cadet Corps or "NLCC") is a junior version of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (NSCC) program developed for younger cadets, aged 11 through 13, under the auspices ...

was described by British naval officer Gordon Campbell as the "best cadet corps in the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

". Coleman was a member of several

gentlemen's club A gentlemen's club is a private social club of a type originally established by males from Britain's upper classes starting in the 17th century. Many countries outside Britain have prominent gentlemen's clubs, mostly those associated with the ...

s across Canada including the Manitoba Club. He was a president of the Canadian Club of Winnipeg, a non-profit speakers' forum. He served as vice-president of the City Improvement League of Montreal, and was a chairman of the Canadian committee of the

Newcomen Society The Newcomen Society is an international learned society that promotes and celebrates the history of engineering and technology. It was founded in London in 1920,The Newcomen Society. '' Journal of the Royal Society of Arts'' 72 (3709): 84 (19 ...

. He was a patron of the

Royal Canadian Legion The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian veterans' organization founded in 1925. Members include people who served in the military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial or municipal police, Royal Canadian Air, Army and Sea Cade ...

and the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League. He served as a governor for The Canadian General Council of The Boy Scouts Association, the Shawbridge Boys' Farm and Montreal Festivals. Coleman was a director for three hospitals in Montreal, including the

Montreal General Hospital The Montreal General Hospital (MGH) () is a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada established in the years 1818–1820. The hospital received its charter in 1823. It is currently part of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and is located ...

, the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Notre Dame Hospital.

Personal life and family

Coleman married Anna Grant in 1906, and they had two sons including Rowan and Jim Coleman. Anna died in 1920, and Coleman was remarried in 1922, to Florence Lynch. He moved frequently with his work and lived in suites at Canadian Pacific Hotels from Vancouver to Montreal. He spent eight years at the

Royal Alexandra Hotel The Royal Alexandra Hotel was a hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that operated from 1906 to 1967. Named for Alexandra of Denmark, the hotel was built and run by the Canadian Pacific Railway, and was designed by Edward Maxwell and William Sutherland ...

in Winnipeg from 1922 to 1930. Coleman attending sports events in Canada and the United States with his sons, including the 1925 Stanley Cup Finals, horse races at

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...

, and games at the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

. His sons would ride across the country in the care of a

train conductor A conductor (North American English) or guard (Commonwealth English) is a train crew member responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve actual operation of the train/locomotive. The role is common worldwide under various j ...

to meet their father, often with a limousine waiting. Jim Coleman recalled that he and his brother took turns sitting beside their father at games, and stated "It was a painful business. Dad didn't shout much but he body checked all through the game". Coleman made a hobby of

recreational fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is occupational fishing activities done for profit; or subsistence fishing, ...

at the

Lake of the Woods Lake of the Woods (; ) is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. Lake of the Woods is over long and wide, containing more than 14,552 islands and of shoreline. It is fed by t ...

. He gave up playing golf and

contract bridge Contract bridge, or simply bridge, is a trick-taking game, trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two Team game, competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each othe ...

since he felt they were "a waste of time". Jim Coleman stated that his father had a good memory, and could recall the minutes and seconds of world records held in horse racing, and knew statistics for British

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

players despite not seeing a match in person. Coleman kept a personal library on Canadiana and the history of

. The collection was reported by

The Canadian Press The Canadian Press (CP; , ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Press has been a privately-held company, pr ...

to be the best in the country at the time. He encouraged his sons to read about history and world events and started them with the ''

New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the '' New York Tribune'' acquired the '' New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and compet ...

''. His son Rowan became a soldier and served with the

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricias) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

during World War II. His son Jim became a syndicated

sports journalist Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in a par ...

who credited his father for a love of horse racing,

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

and

Canadian football Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field long and wide, attempting to advance a Ball (gridiron football), pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposi ...

. Coleman's brother Ephraim Herbert Coleman served as the under Secretary of State for Canada from 1933 to 1949, was the Canadian Ambassador to Cuba and then Brazil between 1950 and 1954, and later was the Dean of Law at the University of Manitoba. Coleman died at home in Montreal on October 17, 1956, after an illness of several months. His funeral was held on October 20, 1956, at Douglas Church in Montreal, followed by burial in

Arnprior Arnprior is a town in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. Arnprior has experienced significant growth in populations with the widening of the Ontario Highway 417 to four lanes. The town experienced an increase in population by 8.4% from 2011 to 2 ...

, Ontario.

Honours and legacy

The Winnipeg Tribune ''The Winnipeg Tribune'' was a metropolitan daily newspaper serving Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from January 28, 1890, to August 27, 1980. The paper was founded by R.L. Richardson and D.L. McIntyre who acquired the press and premises of the old ' ...

'' described Coleman as "modest" and "affable" which "won him the affection of thousands of fellow workers and fellow citizens", and also credited him for developing the CPR into an efficient means of war time logistics for Canada. Coleman received an honorary

Doctor of Law A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

degree from the University of Manitoba in 1932, and an honorary

Doctor of Civil Law Doctor of Civil Law (DCL; ) is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws (LLD) degrees. At Oxford, the degree is a higher doctorate usually awarded on the basis of except ...

degree from the University of Bishop's College in 1937. Coleman was invested as a Knight of Grace in The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in October 1943, by the

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

the Earl of Athlone in recognition of contributions towards home nursing in Canada. He was appointed a Companion of the

in June 1946. Coleman was an honorary president of the Navy League of Canada and the Association of Canadian Clubs of Canada. He was a life member of the Canadian Club of Winnipeg, and was given the honorary

tribal chief A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies There is no definition for "tribe". The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of weste ...

title of "Chief of the Iron Trails" by the Piapot.

Bibliography

* *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Dalton Corry 1879 births 1956 deaths 19th-century Canadian journalists 20th-century Canadian businesspeople Bishop's University Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Businesspeople from Ontario Canadian airline chief executives Canadian businesspeople in shipping Canadian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Canadian energy industry businesspeople Canadian hospital administrators Canadian hoteliers Canadian mining businesspeople Canadian newspaper editors Canadian Pacific Air Lines Canadian Pacific Railway executives Canadian people of Irish descent Canadian racehorse owners and breeders Directors of Bank of Montreal Hudson's Bay Company people Ice hockey people from Ontario Knights of Grace of the Order of St John McGill University people MetLife people Montreal Canadiens executives People from Carleton Place Scouting and Guiding in Canada University of Manitoba