Born at Ste-Agathe de Lotbinière, Quebec on 29 June 1890, son of Héliodore Guay and Aurélie Bouchard, he was educated locally. At the age of 16, he began working on construction of the Transcontinental Railway Company and, two years later, he set up a general contracting business at St-Isidore de Dorchester.
In 1911, he moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, spending three years there before going to Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan where, between 1914 and 1930, he built most of the public buildings and residences. He also constructed buildings around Saskatchewan and Alberta, from offices at Regina and Calgary, and several institutional buildings around Manitoba.
He was married twice, first to Dolores Choulnard and second to Renee McDuff.
In 1931, he moved to Montreal, Quebec. He died there on 19 January 1962 and was buried in the Cote des Neiges Cemetery.
Some of his construction works in Manitoba included:
Building
Location
Year
Status
1031 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg
1927
431 Avenue Taché, Winnipeg
1927-1928
19 Elie Street, Elie, RM of Cartier
1928
Deer Lodge Hospital (expansion)
2109 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg
1928
725 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg
1929
Winnipeg Winter Club Building (expansion)
51 Smith Street, Winnipeg
1929
RM of Headingley
1929-1930
Selkirk Hospital for the Insane (North Unit Building)
Manitoba Avenue, Selkirk
1929-1930
St. Adolphe, RM of Ritchot
?
Demolished (May 2017)
“Contract is awarded for new nurses’ home,” Manitoba Free Press, 6 May 1927, page 21.
“St. Boniface School of Nursing opens Wednesday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 February 1928, page 9.
“Contract for hospital wing is awarded,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 September 1928, page 24.
“$200,000 Winnipeg Winter Club to be built at once,” Winnipeg Tribune, 20 June 1929, page 3.
“Govt. accepts $198,991 tender,” Winnipeg Tribune, 9 July 1929, page 2.
“Contract for addition to hospital let,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 October 1929, page 3.
Obituary, The Gazette, 22 January 1962, page 37.
Joseph-Lorenzo Guay, The Quebec History Encyclopedia.
We thank Darryl Toews for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Jordan Makichuk.
Page revised: 1 March 2024
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