Joseph Gustave VAN BELLEGHEM (1901-1967)
Born in St. Vital on 06 September 1901, he was the son of Desiderius “David” Van Belleghem (?-1936) and Louise Bossuyt. He attended Provencher School and St. Boniface College. After working railway construction with his father, he and his brother, Frank, became joint owners of the Tourist Hotel until his retirement in 1960. Elected for St. Boniface in the 1949 provincial general election, becoming the first MLA of Belgian ancestry, he served a single term before being defeated in the 1953 general election. He was a St. Boniface alderman for 18 years between 1932 and 1965 and was Mayor of St. Boniface (1954-1960).
Hotelier, MLA
On 03 January 1929, he married Clara Ysenbaert (?-2005) and they had five children: Louise Van Belleghem, Paul Arthur Emile Van Belleghem (c1925-1946), Albert Van Belleghem, George Van Belleghem (?-1990), and Roger Van Belleghem. He was a brother-in-law of Theodore Bockstael. For many years he was the Belgian consul for Manitoba. He was a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus.
He died at St. Boniface on 05 January 1967 and was buried in the Belgian Sacred Heart Cemetery. He is commemorated by École Van Belleghem. Biographical information is available at the Le Centre du patrimoine of La Société historique de Saint-Boniface.
Sources:
- Reprinted with permission from Manitoba Historical Society and updated.
- Birth and Death Registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
- Obituary [David Van Belleghem], Winnipeg Tribune, 14 October 1936, page 12.
- Obituary [Clara Van Belleghem], Winnipeg Free Press, 30 July 2005.
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