Memorable Manitobans: Leoni St. Clairze “Leo” Warde (1888-1971)

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Leoni St. Clairze Warde
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Administrator, municipal official.

Born at Winnipeg on 27 January 1888, son of James T. Warde and Lillian McVicar who came to Manitoba in 1880, he was educated at Winnipeg schools and extension courses of the University of Manitoba. Before the First World War, he was associated with the editorial department of the Winnipeg Telegram and was in charge of the Map Publishing Department at Stovel Printing. He later worked as Manager of the Employment Service for the T. Eaton Company. In 1921, he was appointed Director of War Services for the Manitoba Red Cross.

In October 1915, he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a Lieutenant with the 226th Battalion under Lieutenant-Colonel Grassie. He served in France with the 43rd Battalion and was wounded at Passchendaele. He returned to Canada in the spring of 1918 and was discharged in November 1919. In 1920, he was elected Provincial President of the Great War Veterans Association. He was also elected Chairman of the joint council for Veterans Associations, Chairman of the Legislative Council of the Veterans Association, and served as Editor of The Veteran.

He had a long record of service in the welfare of Winnipeg and was known as the originator of “The Mall” and “Cross Town Highway.” In 1909 he made a traffic survey of Winnipeg and later mooted the cross town highway as a relief and correctional highway for the relief of traffic problem. He was an Associate under Judge Robeson to Mr. Feustel, United States traffic expert in joint survey of traffic and street railway. In 1920, he was a fraternal delegate to US House and Town Planning Conference. He served as President of the Canukeena Club (1920-1921), and First Vice-President of the Young Men’s Section of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. He was an Independent candidate for Winnipeg in the 1920 provincial general election but was defeated.

On 23 November 1910, he married Ellen Jane Murray at Winnipeg. They had two children: Leona Warde (wife of R. Fraer) and Murray Warde. In 1920, he stood for election as an independent soldiers’ representative to the Manitoba Legislature but was defeated. He was a member of the Manitoba Good Roads Association, and the US Good Roads Conference. A keen athlete, he was a member of the Minto Lacrosse Club, Wanderers Football Club, and Manitoba Track and Field Association, and a founder of the North End Athletic Club. He was a member of the Business Science Club, Vocational Guidance Board, and the Technical and Industrial Educational Board. He served as Reeve of St. Vital (1928-1930).

He died at Winnipeg on 5 May 1971 and was buried in the St. Vital Cemetery. He is commemorated by Warde Road in Winnipeg.

Sources:

Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

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

Leo Warde, Winnipeg Tribune, 28 November 1929, page 7.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 7 May 1971, page 40.

We thank Darryl Resch for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 15 January 2023

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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