by Fred Morris
2021
When I fly into Winnipeg, Garrioch Avenue is the last residential street that I see from the air. The 1956 Henderson Directory featured the first listing of Garrioch Avenue residents. On 24 July 1956, the new St. James City Hall at 2000 Portage officially opened. Pastor Eric Sigmar, an original resident of Garrioch Avenue, gave the Benediction. On a 7 December 1957 page of the Winnipeg Free Press, Betty Anne Boulton and her young family are pictured in a Christmas card entitled “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”. During the early years, Garrioch Avenue held a Canada Day fireworks eelebration. After the 4 March 1966 blizzard, the front page of the 7 March Winnipeg Free Press featured adventurous people jumping off the roof of Silver Heights United Church into the high snow drifts.
Many well-known people have lived part of their life on Garrioch. Elton Taylor was a versatile player for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers between 1954 and 1957. Audrey Sheardown was a Manitoba archery champion. Wayne Hodgins and John Rayner (coached by his father Win) played in the first St. James Civic Centre hockey game. Terry Sheardown, an Eaton's interior designer, decorated the Winnipeg Arena for the 1967 Pan Am Games. Tim McIsaac, a blind swimmer, won 28 medals in four Paralympics Games. McIsaac was the 1982 Manitoba Athlete of the Year. He is a member of the Manitoba Sport and Paralympic Halls of Fame. He innovated the use of the tapper.
Jack Grassie skipped the winning rink in the 1964 Manitoba School Boys Bonspiel. His son Sean Grassie won the 1999 Manitoba Junior Championship, and three Manitoba Mixed Championships. The 2009 team won the Canadian Mixed Championship and a bronze medal in the World Championship. Also, Grassie won the 2014 World Curling event Mother Club Fall Classic. Sean was the Skip for all of these victories. Sean has written two sports books The Kings of the Rings and 150 Years of Sport in Manitoba.
Barry Burns, a Global and CJOB news anchor, grew up on Garrioch. In 2006, he went to Afghanistan to report on the Canadian Mission for sixteen Chorus Radio Stations. A long-time reservist, he regularly volunteers to serve as the Master of Ceremonies for Remembrance Day services, and cadet ceremonies. Richard Cassidy, a corporate lawyer, and Queens Bench Judge Ted Glowacki lived on Garrioch. Ernie Schell was tenor soloist. He worked as an investment advisor for RBC Dominion Security eventually becoming Vice President. Wally Sine, a well-known car salesman, lived on Garioch. Wally is featured as a customer in the Silver Heights Restaurant's 50th Anniversary Book.
There are a couple more Eatons alumni that I have not mentioned. Vivian Sheardown worked in the Catalogue Building in the early 1900s. In 1919, she received the Eaton's Jubilee Book 9 (1869-1919). During the 1970s, Linda Sheardown worked at Eatons Polo Park in Cosmetics. Between 1972 and 1974, Sherry Sheardown worked in the Polo Park Small Appliances Department. Between 1975 and 1999, Wendy Hodgins (Sherry's twin) worked in the Downtown, Polo Park, and Saskatoon stores.
Garrioch is named after Alfred Garrioch (1848-1934), an Anglican Minister and author. Five St. Stephen's Lutheran Pastors — Eric Sigmar, Walter Becker, Richard Faust, Winn Mott, and John Kunkel — and their families lived in the Garrioch parsonage. Between the late 1950s and early 1970s, St. Stephens owned a second Garrioch Avenue house that served as a Parish Hall. A Kindergarten operated out of this Parish Hall. Silver Heights United was built in two stages at 199 Garrioch. The annual fowl suppers, and monthly book sales became community events. The Church building is now used by the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo). Garrioch will always be remembered as the street where a few people jumped off of a church roof after the Blizzard of the Century.
Page revised: 5 November 2026