Augustus Meredith Nanton (1860-1925)

Banker.

Born in Toronto, Ontario on 7 May 1860, son of Augustus Nanton, brother of H. W. Nanton, he was educated at the Model School, Toronto. He commenced business in a Toronto real estate office in 1873, and two years later, entered the employ of Pellatt & Osler, later Osler & Hammond. He came to Winnipeg in 1884, and opened the office of Osler, Hammond and Nanton.

He was married twice; first to Georgina Hespeler in 1886 (deceased 1887) then, in November 1894, Ethel Constance Clark, with whom he had three sons (Edward, Paul and Augustus) and two daughters. His home in Winnipeg was called Kilmorie.

He held a number of positions in business: Vice-President of the Great-West Life Assurance Company, Managing Director of the Alberta Railway & Irrigation Company, Director of the Dominion Bank, Director of the Winnipeg Electric Railway Company, Director of the Northern Trust Company, Director of the Manitoba Bridge & Iron Works, Governor of the Winnipeg General Hospital, and President of the Winnipeg Board of Trade.

In 1910 he was listed bythe Winnipeg Telegram as one of Winnipeg’s 19 millionaires.

He was president of the Manitoba Patriotic Fund during World War One, and was knighted in 1917 for his war work. During the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 he personally patrolled his grounds at Kilmorie because of threats against him, and his barn at Rosser was burned down by an arsonist.

After a long career in Winnipeg, he was elected President of the Dominion Bank and moved to Toronto in 1924. He died there on 24 April 1925.

He was a member of the Lakewood Country Club and a founding member and president of the St. Charles Country Club.

He is commemorated by Nanton Boulevard in Winnipeg.

More information:

A. M. Nanton’s 41 Years in Winnipeg, 1883-1924 by Paul Nanton
Manitoba History, Number 6, Fall 1983

Sources:

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

Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Profile revised: 13 September 2009

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