James Wallace McKenzie (June 16, 1914
McKenzie was the son of homesteaders who had moved to Manitoba from Ontario. In the 1930s, he earned extra money by performing in dance bands. He was educated in Saskatchewan and did not attend university, working as a grain buyer after leaving school. In 1939, McKenzie married Hilda Rose Pritchard. McKenzie served in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1941 to 1945 and returned to his old job following the conclusion of World War II. When his employer was bought out by Pool elevators, he opened a grocery store in Inglis, Manitoba which he operated for 30 years.