Memorable Manitobans: William Wallace Blair (1852-1916)

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William Wallace Blair
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Architect.

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William Wallace Blair
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Born at Anktelle Lodge, Stewartstown, Tyrone County, Ireland on 14 December 1852, son of McCrea Parker and Eliza Blair, he was educated at the Academical Institute of Belfast, Ireland, later serving as a pupil under Charles Sherry of Belfast. He commenced a professional career at Middlesborough-on-Tees, England in 1874.

He came to Canada in 1876 and resided in Hamilton and Toronto until 1884, then returned to Ireland as resident engineer in Londonderry and Ballymena waterworks system until 1889. He then moved to Chicago and practiced his profession there for fifteen years. He came to Winnipeg in 1905 and practiced until early 1907 with George William Northwood.

In 1879, he married Margaret Maria Bastedo (1856-1948) of Toronto and they had a son and a daughter: McCrea Parker Blair and Marguerite Marie Blair (1884-1975, wife of William Whyte). He was a member of the St. Charles Country Club, Adanac Club, Hamilton Club (Chicago) and the AF & AM. He was a Fellow of the Royal Architect Institute of Canada, and a member of the Manitoba Association of Architects and the Royal Society of Arts of London. He enjoyed golf and fishing.

He retired to Victoria, British Columbia in 1911 where he died on 17 July 1916.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building

Location

Year

Status

Boyce Block

48 Lydia Street, Winnipeg

1906

 

Henderson Directories Building

279-281 Garry Street, Winnipeg

1906

Demolished (1972)

Northern Bank Building

139 Main Street, Melita

1906

 

Ryan Block

44 Princess Street, Winnipeg

1906

 

Ryan House

5 East Gate, Winnipeg

1906

 

Princeton Apartments

312 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg

1907-1909

 

Whyte House

66 Kingsway, Winnipeg

1907

 

Minnedosa High School No. 232

Minnedosa

1908

Demolished (?)

Morris School No. 29

Morris

1908

Demolished (?)

Warwick Apartments

366 Qu’Appelle Avenue, Winnipeg

1908-1909

 

Adelaide Block (addition)

103-111 Osborne Street, Winnipeg

1909

 

Henderson Directories Building (addition)

279-281 Garry Street, Winnipeg

1909

 

Kenmore Block

314 Broadway, Winnipeg

1909

 

Notre Dame Block

406 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg

1909

 

Rookery Block

281-285 Smith Street, Winnipeg

1909

Demolished (2020)

Roslyn Court Apartments

40 Osborne Street, Winnipeg

1909

 

St. James Park Block

233 Beverley Street, Winnipeg

1909

 

Great West Saddlery Building

113 Market Avenue, Winnipeg

1910

 

St. Mary’s Court

371 St. Mary Avenue, Winnipeg

1910

Demolished (?)

Tupper House

147 West Gate, Winnipeg

1910

 

Farmer Block

333 Main Street, Winnipeg

1910-1911

Demolished (1980)

Blair House

139 Middle Gate, Winnipeg

1911

 

Justice School No. 696

Justice, RM of Elton

1911

 

Fortune House

393 Wellington Crescent, Winnipeg

1911

 

Moore Park School No. 1008

Moore Park, RM of Minto-Odanah

1911

Demolished (?)

Grey School No. 1356

Clanwilliam, RM of Minto-Odanah

1912

Demolished (?)

Hill House

20 East Gate, Winnipeg

1912

 

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Verhoeven House (137 West Gate, Winnipeg)

Sources:

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, edited by C. W. Parker, Vancouver: Canadian Press Association, 1911.

Death registration, British Columbia Vital Statistics.

“Former resident dead,” Manitoba Free Press, 20 July 1916, page 4.

Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950 by Robert G. Hill, Toronto.

We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 8 March 2024

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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