Maitland Steinkopf
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maitland B. Steinkopf (born September 10, 1912 in Winnipeg, Manitoba; died 1970) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1962 to 1964, and again from 1964 to 1966. Steinkopf was a cabinet minister in the government of Dufferin Roblin.
Steinkopf was educated at the University of Manitoba, and was called to the Manitoba Bar in December 1936. He served in the Canadian armed forces in World War II, as a Private in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and a Lieutenant Colonel with the R.C.O.C. He later founded the Canada West Shoe Manufacturing Company, and was a president of several companies including Bonded Investments Ltd., L.H. Packard Co. Ltd., Dayton Shoe Mfg. Col. Ltd., and the Tel Aviv Hilton Hotel. Steinkopf was a member of the Canada Israel Development Corporation, and served as chairman of State of Israel bonds in Manitoba. He was also an honorary counsel with the government of Czechoslovakia until 1948. Prior to his election, he assisted the Roblin government in land-development for cultural projects.
Steinkopf was elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1962 provincial election, defeating Liberal Roy Matas by over 1,000 votes in the upscale Winnipeg riding of River Heights. He was appointed to cabinet on June 12, 1963 as Provincial Secretary and Minister of Public Utilities.
In 1964, Steinkopf was implicated in controversial a land assembly payment. Although Premier Roblin later referred to the matter as an innocent technical breach, it was considered serious enough for Steinkopf to resign his position and his seat in the legislature. He was re-elected in a by-election on September 30, and was re-appointed to cabinet on October 8.
During the flag debates of the 1960s, Steinkopf favoured a design competition for a new provincial flag.
Steinkopf did not run for re-election in 1966. He later served as chair of the Manitoba Centennial Centre Corporation, which established a Maitland Steinkopf Youth Fund in 1972 for students in the arts.
He married Helen Katz of Chicago and they had six children.