Fonds F 71 - George H. Barr fonds

George Herbert Barr was born in Norwich, Ontario on July 29, 1878 to George and Clara (Morphy) Barr. He received his early education at the Norwich Public School and the Model School in Woodstock, Ontario. Barr moved to Regina, North-West Territories (now Saskatchewan) in 1898. After graduating from the Normal School, Barr taught in Strasbourg and at the Royal North-West Mounted Police barracks in Regina. In 1902, he began to study law, articling with George W. Brown in Regina before attending Osgoode Hall, Toronto. He graduated in September, 1907.

Barr returned to Regina in 1907 and established Barr, Cumming, Barr, a private law practice in which he was senior partner. He was called to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1907 and was appointed King's Counsel for Saskatchewan in 1917. Barr served as president of the Regina Bar Association and vice-president of the Canadian Bar Association. An authority on constitutional law, Barr appeared in front of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Privy Council of England on behalf of the Saskatchewan government. He also served as legal advisor to numerous cooperative associations, including the Saskatchewan Cooperative Livestock Producers; the Saskatchewan Poultry Pool and the Consumers' Cooperative Refineries Ltd.

Active in civic affairs, Barr served as an alderman for the City of Regina (1915-1916), a councilor of the Regina Board of Trade and sat on the board of the Regina Public Library. He was chairman of the Regina College Citizens' Committee and an executive member of numerous organizations, including the Saskatchewan Boy Scouts Association; the Regina YWCA; the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; the Canadian Club of Regina and the Saskatchewan Art Association. Barr was an active member of Knox Metropolitan Church and was named an honourary elder.

Barr died in Regina on February 5, 1960.

Barr married Ethel Laureen Dawson in 1906 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Barrs had four children: Donald, Wallace, Robert and Kathleen.