Rurik (Ric) Nordman (October 18, 1919 in Cypress River,

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

– July 29, 1996 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 ...

) was a businessman and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, Canada. Nordman served on

Winnipeg City Council The Winnipeg City Council () is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Council is seated in the Council Building of Winnipeg City Hall. In the provincial election of 1981 Nordman defeated NDP candidate Max Melnyk by over 1,000 votes to be elected a member of the

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba () is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at List of Manitoba genera ...

, representing the riding of

Assiniboia Assiniboia District refers to two historical districts of Canada's Northwest Territories. The name is taken from the Assiniboine First Nation. Historical usage ''For more information on the history of the provisional districts, see also Distric ...

for the Progressive Conservative Party. In the 1986 election, he faced Melnyk again and won by a greater margin. He was narrowly defeated by Liberal Ed Mandrake in the provincial election of 1988, ironically as the Progressive Conservatives won a

minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in ...

. He did not seek a return to politics before his death in 1996. Nordman was generally respected by members on all sides of the house. Nordman served in the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...

from 1940 to 1945, reaching the rank of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. Nordman worked as a restaurateur following the war, and eventually operated a number of successful businesses in Manitoba and

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Ric served two different terms as President of Kirkfield Park Community Club in the mid 1960s as well as being one of the founders of the St. James Canadians Jr. Hockey Club. He was also a founding member of Messiah Lutheran Church in Westwood, and a board member of the

Rainbow Stage Rainbow Stage is a not-for-profit musical theatre company and outdoor theatre operator, located in Kildonan Park in north Winnipeg, Manitoba. The covered amphitheatre seats up to 2,600 people and operates from May to September. History As urb ...

Theatre. In 1992, Nordman was awarded the

125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal The 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal () is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada and was awarded to Canadians who were deemed to have made ...

by Premier

Gary Filmon Gary Albert Filmon (born August 24, 1942) is a Canadian politician from Manitoba who served as the 19th premier of Manitoba. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the premier from ...

in recognition of his service to the community. Ric Nordman died in Winnipeg at the age of 77 and was survived by his wife, Kathleen (Kae) Nordman, and their two sons Grant and Greg. Ric's oldest son, Grant Nordman, was elected as the City Councillor for St. Charles Ward on October 25, 2006, 32 years after his father was first elected to that office. In 2011, his son Greg ran for city council in St. Vital Ward.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nordman, Ric Winnipeg city councillors Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs 1919 births 1996 deaths Canadian people of Icelandic descent Canadian Lutherans 20th-century Lutherans 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba