Dennis Kestell Yorath,

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

(April 30, 1905 – May 8, 1981) was an aviator and business executive who was a Member of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

for his contributions to Canadian aviation and in particular the

British Commonwealth Air Training Plan The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), or Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zea ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Education

Born in

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

, Canada, Denis received education in Victoria, British Columbia, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and his home town of London, Ontario.

Career in business

Denis worked for the Imperial Bank of Canada at Edmonton, Alberta, for two years. He then became an employee of Northwestern Utilities Limited in 1924, and in 1925 Canadian Western Natural Gas Company at Calgary, Alberta. In 1952 he became President and in 1962 was named Chairman. By 1969 Denis had become Vice-President and Director of the International Utilities Corporation, of which the previous companies were former subsidiaries.

Aviation

Denis became a charter member of the Calgary flying club in 1928. He obtained a private pilot's licence and eventually went on to become a director and finally president of the club. During World War II Britain established the Commonwealth Air Training Plan to provide pilots for the war effort. It was for this work that he was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Denis was named the managing director of No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School at Lethbridge, Alberta. He remained in command of the school through its move to High River, Alberta until its closure in 1945.Denis Kestell Yorath
/ref> Denis was elected Alberta Zone Director in 1944 followed by an appointment to President in 1949 of The Royal Canadian Flying Clubs Association (RCFCA) In 1949 he was awarded the Trans Canada (McKee) Aviation trophy.

Honours and recognition

* Yukon Territory Order of Polaris *

Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, based in The Hangar Flight Museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, commemorates and honours those whose accomplishments in aviation contributed so much to Canada's development as a nation. Founded in 1973, the Hall of ...

* The 1949 McKee Trophy * Member of the Order of the British Empire. *Honorary Degree from the University of AlbertaLethbridge Herald, Tuesday, June 07, 1955, Page 18
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yorath, Denis K. 1905 births 1981 deaths Canadian aviators Canadian business executives Canadian World War II pilots Canadian Members of the Order of the British Empire Businesspeople from London, Ontario