Memorable Manitobans: Manson Ainslie Lyons (1879-1965)

Click to enlarge

Manson Ainslie Lyons
Click to enlarge

Engineer.

Born at Delhaven, Nova Scotia on 14 November 1879, son of Joseph Harris Lyons (1853-?) and Catherine Olivia Taylor (1856-1944), brother of Nellie Blanche Lyons, he was educated at Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, High School; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston. He taught manual training for two years in the College of St. Francis Xavier, Nova Scotia and one year in Lunenburg (High School), then was engaged in such various engineering works as wharf, freshwater and dam construction and railway location on Halifax and Eastern Railway in Nova Scotia. In 1910, he graduated in Civil Engineering, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology of Boston.

He went to Calgary in spring of 1911 and was engaged until 1912 in irrigation and railway engineering with the Canadian Pacific Railway. For the next two years, he worked in drainage and bridge engineering with Government of Manitoba. In April 1914, he was appointed Chief Engineer of the Good Roads Board of Manitoba. He served as President of the Association of Professional Engineers of Manitoba from 1920 to 1921. In 1936, he replaced Archibald McGillivray as Manitoba Highway Commissioner. He later served as Deputy Minister of Public Works, being succeeded in 1946 by George Edward Collins. In retirement he lived at Oakville, Ontario.

On 31 December 1912, he married Susan Kent (1886-1966), with whom he had two children: Joseph Harvey Kent Lyons (1915-1994) and Catherine B. “Kay” Lyons (?-?, wife of M. S. Bowen).

He died at Trail, British Columbia, at the home of his daughter, on 10 February 1965.

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Trans-Canada Highway Monument (Eastern Manitoba)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Arden Concrete Arch Bridge No. 2 (Municipality of Glenella-Lansdowne)

Sources:

Birth and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

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

Obituary, Western Municipal News, December 1936, page 362.

“Mrs. C. Lyons buried Sunday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 18 December 1944, page 12.

Death registrations, British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 12 February 1965, page 28.

Death registration [Joseph Harvey Kent Lyons], British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Obituary [J. H. Kent Lyons], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 December 1994, page 30.

We thank Nathan Kramer and Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 18 August 2023

Memorable Manitobans

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:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 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!