Colin Inkster (d.1934, aged 91).

Colin Inkster had a lifelong connection with St. John’s Cathedral.  He was the son of Orkney John Inkster, who was a leading merchant in the Red River Settlement. Colin grew up at Seven Oaks House, and was educated at St. John’s College School. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Manitoba and served as Speaker of the Assembly. In 1878 he resigned his seat to become High Sheriff of Manitoba, an office he held until his retirement. Inkster’s personal history closely parallels that of the City of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba.

Like his father before him, Colin Inkster served both his community and his church. John Inkster served as a Warden of St. John’s and Colin followed in his father’s footsteps, and served as Warden for over 60 years!  He knew Archbishop Cockran well. He greeted Archbishop Machray when the Archbishop arrived at St. Paul, Mn., and travelled with him to Winnipeg, arriving on Oct. 13, 1865. He was a member of the first Provincial Synod of Rupert’s Land in 1875.

When the ‘new’ Cathedral was built in 1926, Colin, along with Archbishop Matheson, was a major force in fund-raising and planning.  His contributions to life in the Red River Settlement, the City of Winnipeg, the Province of Manitoba, and the Anglican Church in Rupert’s Land are recognized by his inclusion among the leading figures in the development of the church, depicted in the Great West Window, which was installed in 1970 to mark the 150 anniversary of the Parish. There is, in the Cathedral a plaque in memory of this man along with the stained glass portrait.