Canadian politician (born 1937)
Helmut Pankratz (born October 10, 1937[1]) is a retired Canadian politician from Manitoba. Pankratz served as mayor of Steinbach from 1981 to 1986.[2] From 1986 to 1990, he represented the electoral district of La Verendrye for the Progressive Conservative Party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.[1]
He was born to a Mennonite family[citation needed] in Winnipeg. His parents were Henry and Justina Pankratz. Before entering politics, he worked as a farmer. On August 24, 1961, he married Dolores Jean and had two children with her: Kevin Blair and Jillayne Fay.[3]
Pankratz was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the provincial election of 1986, defeating Walter McDowell of the NDP by almost 2,000 votes.[4] In the 1988 election, he defeated Liberal C.E. Goertzen by over 1,400 votes as the Progressive Conservatives formed a minority government under Gary Filmon.[5]
Pankratz was not appointed to cabinet, but served as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Development.[6] He retired from the legislature at the calling of the 1990 provincial election, and has not returned to political life since this time.[1] He now owns a recreational vehicle dealership in the Steinbach area.[7]
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