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 o ...

– July 29, 1996 in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

) was a businessman and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

, Canada. Nordman served on

Winnipeg City Council The Winnipeg City Council (french: Conseil municipal de Winnipeg) 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 (french: Assemblée législative du Manitoba) is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at provincial gener ...

, 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 (government), cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or Coalition government, coalition of parties do ...

. 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 (french: Armée canadienne) is the 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 respo ...

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 of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. 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, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. 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 The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As the Winnipeg Braves, the ...

Jr. Hockey Club. He was also a founding member of Messiah Lutheran Church in Westwood, and a board member of the Rainbow Stage Theatre. In 1992, Nordman was awarded the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal by Premier

Gary Filmon Gary Albert Filmon (born August 24, 1942) is Canadian politician from Manitoba. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th premier of Manitoba from 1988 to 1999. Political care ...

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