Reg Forbes was born at Rorketon, Manitoba in 1924 and was
raised in the Dauphin area. He joined the RCAF in 1943 and trained as a
navigator. Following his discharge in 1945, he attended the faculty of
agriculture at the University of Manitoba and graduated in 1949.
He joined the Manitoba Department of Agriculture in 1949 and served
as the agricultural representative at Pilot Mound. During his time there,
he initiated the "Save the Soil" campaign, which became a province wide
conservation program. In 1956, he was appointed principal of the Agriculture
and Homemaking School in Brandon and agricultural representative. Under
his guidance, the school was changed to the Agricultural Extension Centre,
which has served as a forum for discussion of all nature of rural concerns.
Heavily involved in many aspects of rural circumstances, he was instrumental
in affecting the amalgamation of the Manitoba Winter Fair and the Provincial
Exhibition, the outgrowth of which led to the construction of the Keystone
Centre. He served as president of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, the Provincial
Exhibition and as chairman of the Keystone board of directors.
In his capacity as agricultural representative, he was successful
in the development of the Farmers Co-op seed cleaning plant at Rivers
and is credited with bringing Ayerst Organics to Brandon and the PMU industry
to the region. He served as a commissioner with the Hall Commission
on Grain Handling and Transportation. His empathy and understanding of
rural life and people was a positive contribution to the credibility
of the report.
Other organizations in which Forbes was involved included the Westman
Regional Development Corporation, Brandon Chamber of Commerce, Wheat Belt
Community Futures, Venture Corporation, the Brandon Economic Development
Board and as founding member of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum.
On the professional side of agriculture, he was involved as the president
of the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists, the Canadian Society of Rural
Extension and the Agricultural Institute of Canada. He was awarded the
highest honor of his profession when he was named a Fellow of the
A.I.C.
Throughout his career, his strongest virtue has been in the field
of communications, explaining and making people aware of the interdependence
of agriculture and other segments of the community.
He is well known for his abilities, his positive attitude and his
deep concern for agriculture and the people of the industry.
