Memorable Manitobans: Frederick Leslie Newman (1859-1942)

Merchant.

Born at Merrickville, Ontario on 25 June 1859, son of Thomas and Sarah Newman, he was educated at Merrickville, Perth and Brantford, Ontario. He began work as a school teacher, immigrating to Manitoba in 1881 and finding work the next year constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway until its completion in 1883. He was in charge of the train that brought the party out from Vancouver to Craiglachie, where the last spike was driven by Lord Strathcona (Sir Donald Smith) on 7 November 1885. Later, he was engaged in construction work in the building of the Crow’s Nest Pass and Columbia Western Railways. He was in Roseland during its early boom days. He returned to Portage la Prairie in 1888 and went into a wholesale grocery and liquor business with his brother, Thomas Alexander Newman.

He was married twice, first to Catherine Louise Paterson (deceased), second to Emma Lois Merrill of Prescott, Ontario, with whom he had a daughter, Gratia (wife of F. W. S. Sparling). He served as Vice-President of the Portage la Prairie Board of Trade and its President in 1911. He served as Mayor of Portage la Prairie from 1892 to 1893. He was Vice-President of the Western Radiator Company. He was active in the Masons, being a Member of the Assiniboine Lodge, AF & AM No. 7. Past Master Keystone Chapter, No. 2. Shriner of Khartoum Temple. Life Member of Albert Edward Preceptory, Knight Templar. Grand Senior Warden of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. Grand Z of the Grand Chapter of Manitoba.

He died on 9 January 1942.

Sources:

A History of Manitoba: Its Resources and People by Prof. George Bryce, Toronto: The Canadian History Company, 1906.

Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.

Western Municipal News, January 1942, page 7.

This profile was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Profile revised: 7 April 2010

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