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==George De Pauw PEng BSc (Civil Engineering), Past President of the Association==
George Alois De Pauw was born April 1, 1926, at St. Alphonse Manitoba. The hamlet is nestled in the hills along the Cypress River located 160-km southwest of Winnipeg. He received his early education in St. Alphonse and at Bruxelles, Manitoba. George went on to obtain his BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Manitoba in May 1948.

==Professional Career==
After graduation he joined the Department of Highways and Public Works for Manitoba as a resident Highways Engineer. In 1951 he was transferred to the bridge design office and was promoted to the position of Chief Bridge Engineer in 1957; retiring as Director of Bridges and Structures in May 1988 after 40 year of dedicated service.

George De Pauw was in charge of the design, construction, maintenance and safety of thousands of bridges in Manitoba mainly outside of the City of Winnipeg, including bridges designed by his staff and by Consultants. 

He was particularly involved in the foundations for the piers in river bottoms, in riverbank stability and related abutment movement and in concrete durability. 
The bridges were constructed of wood, concrete and steel and ranged from box culverts, to single and multi span bridges and the Hecla Island Causeway and Bridge. 
Examples of long bridges are the 187-m long steel truss bridge over the Churchill River and the 849-m long steel and reinforced-concrete bridge over the Red River on P.T.H. No. 4 north of Selkirk Manitoba. 

On the cover for book he authored (below) he wrote of the bridge north of Selkirk. Its location over the Red River, north of Selkirk was not only politically controversial, but also required a special river pier design solution. Nevertheless, it is one of the most attractive bridges in the Province.

[[File:PTH No 4f side view over the red river Curtis Walker photo used with permission 2025 02 03.jpg|thumb|center|500px|PTH No 4 South Side view over the red river, Photo Credit - Curtis Walker Used with Permission, Copyrighted]]

==Association Activities==
[[File:1974 G.A. DePauw.jpg|thumb|left|250px|'''George Alois De Pauw''', President of Association of Professional Engineers of Manitoba, 1974. Photo credit: Association files]]

George became registered with the Association of Professional Engineers of the Province of Manitoba (now EGM) on May 20, 1954. He was a member of the council from 1972 to 1975 and from 1985 to 1986. He was President in 1974. 

The February 1974 ''Bulletin of the Association of Professional Engineers'' noted of their new President: 

''He is not swayed by oratory or what is going to be popular. He operates according to the dictates of his own conscience, and in Association matters he does what he believes is the best for the public, the Association and its members. He is respected by the people who work for him, both in his own department and in the Association office.''

He served on many committees particularly in support of practicing design engineers, receiving the Outstanding Service Award from the Association in1987. He particularly delved into ethics, responsibility, risk and gaining experience for the engineering to be performed. As written in his book, he stressed over political and economic interests conflicting with ethical decisions.

==Associated Activities==

George was active in the Canadian Standards Association Standard S-6 Design of Highway Bridges. He contributed to the development of foundation pressures and pile loadings.
Under his guidance the department conducted pile load tests, studies of hydraulics and hydrology, bridge foundation and riverbank stability, and economics in short span bridges. 
After his retirement George published a book “Pioneering in Highway Bridges for the Province of Manitoba and the Engineering Profession” in 1993. The comprehensive book details subjects noted above. The books three chapters contains numerous pictures and drawings. Chapter 1 describes early bridges in the Province and notes some that he considered to be heritage structures.

==Personal Background==

George and his wife were members of St. Ignatius Church where he was a member of the advisory board and a dedicated member of the choir. He was president of Crescentwood Community Club.

George and his wife of 58 years had a son and three daughters. They enjoyed summers at their cottage at Chalet Beach where they took time to sit on the deck and watch the birds (George was sure to have his binoculars and bird book handy) or go for a sail. George played tennis long into his retirement. He enjoyed hockey with his fellow workers, curling with his wife and listening to good music.

George De Pauw passed away November 4, 2009.

==References==

#[https://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id-156855/PAUW_GEORGE Free Press Obituary], 5 November 2009
#[https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/depauw_ga.shtml Memorable Manitobans: George Alois De Pauw (1926-2009)], Manitoba Historical Society Archives (accessed 4 April 2025)
#Pioneering in Highway Bridges in Manitoba and the Engineering Profession by George A. De Pauw 1993
#Bulletin of the Association of Professional Engineers of Manitoba (now EGM) Feb. 1974

<li style="display: inline-block;">[[File:1974-02 Manitoba Professional Engineer.pdf|thumb|none|250px|Manitoba Professional Engineer 1974-02]] </li>

==Compiled by==

Al Myska, PEng (SM), FEC, January 2025
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Review
#Glen N. Cook, PEng (SM), FEC
#Dave Ennis, PEng Life Member, FEC
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==Posted by==
Glen N. Cook, PEng (SM), FEC
<br>
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