by Fred Morris
June 2021, updated April 2025
Guildford Street is named after the 16th-century Lord Guildford Dudley. His wife Lady Jane Grey was Queen of England for nine days before both paid the ultimate price in a power struggle. Guildford Street is mentioned as early as 1914 in the Henderson Directories. There were four houses listed. By the end of the Second World War, there eight houses with only one north of Bruce. Between the late 1940s and early 1960s, there was a rapid development of new homes. Guildford quickly evolved into a perfect street with 40 houses on each side and 40 houses in each block. The older houses remained with a couple of them getting different numbers.
In the early 1950s, Saskatchewan Roughrider All Star Gordon Sturtridge and wife Mildred lived in a new house on Guildford Street. After the 1956 Shrine All Star Football Game, they were killed in the Flight 810 airplane crash. There is a Minor Football League in North Vancouver named in Gordon's memory. During a recent visit to Regina's Mosaic Stadium, we saw Gordon's name on the Ring of Honour.
Gary Beauchamp assisted on the first goal ever scored in the St. James Civic Centre. Also, goalie Al Lowen and referee Bill Hobson took part in the inaugural 1966 game. Manitoba Moose General Manager Craig Heisinger grew up on Guildford Street. He won the 2008-2009 James Hendy Award and the 2016-2017 Thomas Ebright Award for outstanding work as an AHL Executive. Craig's son Zach Heisinger of the Fort Gary Fort Rouge Twins took part in the ceremonial faceoff for the 2016 50th anniversary St. James Civic Centre game.
In 1968, the sponsor-less Canadian Ladies Curling Championship (now called the Scotties) was held at the St. James Civic Centre. Joan Whalley led a strong organizing committee. The 1968 event was a resounding success. Joan was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame. Mae Corbett, Dorothy McClure, and Muriel Ross worked in the St. James Civic Centre canteen. Rick Brownlee, the recently retired Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame Executive Director, lived on Guildford for five years.
Doug Stanes was a great constituency politician. The friendly Stanes won almost every election that he contested. In the 1966 Manitoba Provincial Election, he defeated Liberal Lloyd Axworthy. Aiden Conklin served over 30 years as a school trustee. He was involved in the necessary post-Second World War construction of new schools. There are many school-related Guildford Street memories of the post-war era. In the 27 August 1955 Winnipeg Tribune, Gerald Scott and Gerald Rose of Guildford Street are pictured preparing for Grade 1. Hazel Saddler and Kathleen Wright were school teachers. The St. James Assiniboia School Division Office building at 2574 Portage Avenue is named in honour of Mr. Conklin. William Backman was a Drama and English teacher at Sturgeon Creek Collegiate. William on guitar, his son Tony on drums, and several other Sturgeon Creek teachers formed a band that played at private functions for four years.
Dennis Lloyd was the United Firefighters Union Chief. In 2014, he received a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal Award. Robert Smith served as Winnipeg firefighter for 34 years retiring as a Captain. Also, his son John Smith was a Fire Department Captain. Danny McClure was a Transit Supervisor, stationed at Polo Park to ensure that buses kept running on time. Dr. James O'Toole was a co-founder of the Assiniboine Clinic. Jan Currier who grew up on Guildford is an Event and Project Manager. Jan is currently involved in planning the 75th Anniversary of St. James Collegiate. Archibald Saddler received a Ruby Ring from Greyhound Bus for accident-free driving. Pastors Maurice McLuhan and Russell Vickers and their families lived in the Deer Lodge United Church manse on Guildford Street. During my political adventures, Rick Kurowski produced my customized t-shirts.
Richard and Marjorie Ebbitt were long-time Eatons employees. Muriel Ross and Joyce McKay (French) also worked at Eatons. The close proximity to the Deer Lodge Hospital creates issues. Since 2013, there has been a sign at the corner of Guildford and Lodge requesting that Deer Lodge Hospital employees not smoke on Guildford Street.
The story of Guildford Street would not be complete without mentioning one of the earliest residents. Matthew Snow was Canada's Grain Commissioner. He died in 1930 and Snow Street in Fort Garry is named in his memory.
What is the greatest political trivia question related to Guildford Street?
Name the only PC politician to defeat Lloyd Axworthy in an election?
Answer: Doug Stanes, In the 1966 provincial general election
Page revised: 2 November 2026