Wally Johannson

Born in Arborg, Manitoba on April 10, 1936,^[1][2][3] the son of Thorkell Johannson and Gudrun Sigvaldason,^[2] Johannson was educated at the University of Manitoba and worked as a high-school history teacher before entering political life. He was a member of the Manitoba Historical Society and the Icelandic Canadian Club, among other voluntary organizations. He was the victim of a home invasion in early 1969 and was wounded in a shotgun blast.^[4] In 1970, Johannson married Cheryl Taychuk.^[2]

Johannson was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1969 provincial election, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative MLA and future Winnipeg mayor Robert Steen in the riding of St. Matthews. He was re-elected with an increased majority in the election of 1973.^[1]

He did not serve in the cabinet of Edward Schreyer. In the 1977 election, he lost his seat to Tory candidate Len Domino^[1] by 124 votes. He returned to educational work after his defeat.

Johannson was initially an ally of Schreyer but became more closely associated with leadership contender Sidney Green as the decade progressed. He attended an early meeting of Green's Progressive Party in 1981, though his loyalty to the NDP ultimately stopped him from joining.

Johannson died at a care home in Gimli, Manitoba, on September 2, 2025, at the age of 89.^[5]