- Person
- 1903-1991
Cornelius "Neil" Friesen was born in Gretna, MB on 14 April, 1903 to Abraham Friesen and Anna Sawatzky. in 1938 he married Ethel McLeod in Winnipeg and they had two daughters. In 1938 the family moved from Winnipeg to Elie, Manitoba to take over managing of a lumber company. In 1948 the family moved back to Winnipeg. He is best known as the founder of Bridge Drive-In (BDI), an ice cream shop in Winnipeg established in 1958. Friesen retired and sold the business in 1964. In his retirement Cornelius Friesen enjoyed sports such as golf and curling. In curling he was an early adopter (inventor?) of using statistics according to a Winnipeg Tribune article.