Barber, Clarence Lyle (1917-2004)

A Canadian economist of international stature, Clarence Lyle Barber was born on May 17, 1917, on a farm near Wolseley, Saskatchewan. Growing up during the Great Depression, Barber became interested in economic problems. After studying economics at the University of Saskatchewan, he did graduate work at Clark University and the University of Minnesota. Barber served in the Canadian Air Force until 1945, then joined the faculty at the University of Manitoba in 1949, where he worked until his retirement in 1983. He was instrumental in convincing Manitoba, through his work on the Royal Commission Flood Cost-Benefit from 1957-59, to build the crucial protective floodway. He also implemented the Canadian Royal Commission on Farm Machinery, which reported in 1971. His seminal work on Canadian tariff policy, unemployment, and welfare economics earned him an international following. Barber was a member of the Royal Society of Canada, the Order of Canada, and the Order of Manitoba. He passed away in Victoria on February 26, 2004.

Merle Massie