Memorable Manitobans: Étienne-Joseph “Steve” Gaboury (1930-2022)

Architect.

Born at Bruxelles on 24 April 1930, youngest of thirteen children born to Napoléon Gaboury (1887-1947) and Valentine Lafreniere (1892-1957), he grew up on the family farm near Swan Lake. In 1949, he began studies in Lat Philosophy at the Collège de Saint-Boniface, graduating in 1953. He studied Architecture at the University of Manitoba (1958) then at the Ecole Des Beaux Arts at Paris (1958-1959). He practiced architecture in Winnipeg with the firm of Libling Michener and Associates and later with Gaboury, Lussier and Sigurdson Architects. In 1976 he founded Gaboury Associates Architects, later known as Gaboury Préfontaine Perry Architects. He completed more than 300 projects around the world but was especially well known for his regional prairie designs that incorporated physical, emotional, and spiritual elements.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Church of the Canadian Holy Martyrs	289 Dussault Avenue, Winnipeg	1962
Mariapolis Collegiate	Mariapolis, Municipality of Lorne	1962
Notre Dame de Lourdes Collegiate	Notre Dame Avenue, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Municipality of Lorne	1962
St. Claude Collegiate	St. Claude, RM of Grey	1962
Somerset Collegiate	Third Street, Somerset, Municipality of Lorne	1962
St. Boniface Health Unit Building	233 Provencher Boulevard, Winnipeg	1962-1963
St. Boniface Clinic	343 Tache Avenue, Winnipeg	1963
General Vanier School (expansion)	18 Lomond Boulevard, Winnipeg	1964
St. Boniface Police Station, Jail, and Courthouse	227 Provencher Avenue, Winnipeg	1964
St. Claude Roman Catholic Church	St. Claude, RM of Grey	1964-1965
Ecole Tache (expansion)	744 Langevin Street, Winnipeg	1965
Beliveau School (expansion)	296 Speers Road, Winnipeg	1965
Holy Family Roman Catholic Church	778 Archibald Street, Winnipeg	1965
St. Norbert Collegiate	870 Ste. Thérèse Avenue, Winnipeg	1965
St. George School (expansion)	151 St. George Road, Winnipeg	1966
Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church	710 Roanoke Street, Winnipeg	1966
l’Église de Précieux Sang / Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church	200 Kenny Street, Winnipeg	1967
Trinity Lutheran Church	43 River Avenue, Starbuck	1967
Margaret Barbour Collegiate	429 Smith Street, The Pas	1968
Gilbert Plains School	Gilbert Plains	1969
Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service No. 15 Station	1083 Autumnwood Drive, Winnipeg	1969
St. Boniface Cathedral	190 Avenue de la Cathedrale, Winnipeg	1972
Foyer Chez-Nous	187 Avenue de la Cathédrale, Winnipeg	1973
Louis Riel Statue	200 Avenue de la Cathedrale, Winnipeg	1973
Royal Canadian Mint	520 Lagimodière Boulevard, Winnipeg	1975
Churchill Town Centre	180 La Verendrye Avenue, Churchill	1976
Drake Centre (University of Manitoba)	181 Freedman Crescent, Winnipeg	1987
Central United Church	321 Eighth Street, Brandon	1989
Esplanade Riel	Provencher Boulevard, Winnipeg	2003-2004
Helen Betty Osborne Ininew Education Resource Centre	Norway House	?
Ecole Roland Lauzé School	Nelson House	?
PsychHealth Centre	Winnipeg	?

In recognition of his work and service, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (1970). He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manitoba (1987) and awards from Heritage Canada, Heritage Winnipeg, and Manitoba Association of Architects. He received the Manitoba Centennial Medal (1970), Le Prix Riel (2000), and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), and he was inducted into the Order of Canada (2010) and Order of Manitoba (2012).

On 1 September 1956, he married Claire Breton and they had a daughter and three sons.

He died at the St. Boniface Hospital on 14 October 2022. A collection of his work documents and correspondence is held by La Société historique de Saint-Boniface.

Sources:

Obituary [Aurelie Gaboury], Winnipeg Free Press, 24 May 1943, page 2.

“Tenders invited,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 August 1961, page 14.

“Police station okayed,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 March 1962, page 3.

“Call for courthouse tenders authorized by St. Boniface,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 September 1963, page 4.

“Gaboury gets fellowship,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 May 1970.

“U of M confers six honorary degrees,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 June 1987, page 22.

Hills of Home: Treasured Memories of Bruxelles by Bruxelles History Book Committee, 1992, pages 271-273.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 19 October 2022.

We thank Susan Algie and Michel Lagace for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 18 February 2023

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!