Some street names in the City of Brandon commemorate historical events and personalities. Unfortunately, the basis for many names has not been recorded. This project will attempt to reconstruct the basis for as many Brandon street names as possible. Those with obvious names (for example, the “Animal Streets” - Otter Bay, Moose Place, Lynx Crescent, etc. - in the northwest corner of the city) will not be included.
NOTE: This is a work in progress, and information will be added as it becomes available. Please send corrections and updates to Gordon Goldsborough at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.
Type
Direction
Avenues (usually named)
East-west
Streets (usually numbered)
North-south
There are corresponding lists for Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, and Winnipeg.
Street Name
Notes
Aagaard Avenue
Named for a restaurant proprietor
Aberdeen Avenue
Probably named for the Marquis of Aberdeen, Governor-General of Canada (1893-1898) who visited Manitoba in 1895 and 1915
Assiniboine Avenue
Named for the Assiniboine River that flows nearby
Augusta Crescent
Unknown
Baker Bay
Unknown
Balmoral Avenue
Unknown
Baragar Drive
In 1939, a section of First Street North near the Manitoba Hospital for Mental Diseases was renamed in honour of facility administrator Charles A. Baragar but the municipal paperwork was never formalized and the change lapsed in the 1970s
Braecrest Drive
Unknown
Brock Avenue
Named for farmer John A. Brock, who owned the land where the street is located, prior to 1883
Byng Avenue
Named for the Viscount Byng of Vimy, Governor-General of Canada (1921-1926)
MHS
Carlton Avenue
Unknown
Cater Drive
Named for Brandon mayor Harry William Cater
MHS
Charles Street
Unknown
Christie Bay
Unknown
Clare Avenue
Unknown
Clark Drive
According to historian Martin Kavanagh, this streets commemorates “a democratic leader”
Clement Drive
Named for Brandon mayor Stephen Emmett Clement
MHS
College Avenue
Unknown
Cornwallis Bay
Unknown
Creighton Boulevard
Named for Brandon mayor James Albert Creighton
MHS
Currie Boulevard
Possibly named for early pioneer William J. Currie
MHS
Daly Crescent
Named for Brandon mayor Thomas Mayne Daly
MHS
Darrach Avenue / Bay
Named for nurse and philanthropist Sarah Persis Johnson Darrach
MHS
Delta Bay
Unknown
Dennis Street
Unknown
Douglas Street
Unknown
Elviss Crescent
Unknown
Empress Bay
Unknown
Finlay Drive
Unknown
E. Fotheringham Drive
Named for Brandon alderman, mayor and businessman Edward Fotheringham
MHS
Franklin Street
Unknown
Fraser Crescent
Named for Brandon mayor Alexander Cumming Fraser
MHS
Frederick Street
Unknown
Galbraith Crescent
Unknown
Glen Avenue
Unknown
Glendale Bay
Unknown
Gordon Avenue
Unknown
Grant Boulevard
Unknown
Hanbury Place
Probably named for businessman and city councillor John Hanbury
MHS
Harrison Avenue
Unknown
Highland Avenue
Unknown
Hill Avenue
Named for railwayman James Jerome Hill
Hilton Avenue
Named for Hilton McGregor, son of Manitoba Lieutenant-Governor James Duncan McGregor. See also John Avenue and McGregor Avenue.
Horizon Place
Unknown
Jade Avenue
Unknown
John Avenue
Named for John McGregor, brother to Manitoba Lieutenant-Governor James Duncan McGregor. See also Hilton Avenue and McGregor Avenue.
Jordanna Lane
Unknown
Kelly Place
Named for Brandon mayor Andrew Kelly
MHS
Kirkcaldy Drive
Named for municipal politician James Kirkcaldy
MHS
Laurence Crescent
Unknown
Leslie Bay
Unknown
Lloyd Crescent
Unknown
Lori Road
Unknown
Lorne Avenue
Named for John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland Campbell, the Duke of Argyll, also known as the Marquis of Lorne, son-in-law to Queen Victoria, who served as Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. See Louise Avenue.
Louise Avenue
Named for Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria and wife to the Marquis of Lorne. See Lorne Avenue.
Macleod Drive
Unknown
Madison Crescent
Unknown
Magnacca Crescent
Named for Brandon mayor Stephen Adolph Magnacca
MHS
Maryland Avenue
Unknown
McDiarmid Drive
Named for Brandon mayor John S. McDiarmid
MHS
McDonald Avenue
Probably named for Martin McDonald, the registrar at the Brandon Land Titles Office in 1881 but it may also commemorate lawyer W. A. MacDonald whose place of business was on the north side of Rosser Avenue between Ninth and Tenth Streets. The latter man later migrated to British Columbia where he became a Supreme Court judge.
McEwen Drive
Unknown
McGregor Avenue
Named for John McGregor, brother to Manitoba Lieutenant-Governor James Duncan McGregor. See also Hilton Avenue and John Avenue
McTavish Avenue
Unknown
McVicar Crescent
Unknown
Middleton Avenue
Probably named for British general Frederick Dobson Middleton
Mitchell Street
Unknown
Noonan Drive
Unknown
Orchard Drive
Unknown
Ottawa Avenue
Unknown
Pacific Avenue
Named for the Canadian Pacific Railway which reached Brandon in 1881
MHS
Park Avenue
Unknown
Park Street
Unknown
Parker Boulevard
Unknown
Paterson Crescent
Unknown
Patmore Drive
Named for horticulturist Henry Lewis Patmore
MHS
Patricia Avenue
Unknown
Percy Street
Unknown
Pilling Drive
Unknown
Princess Avenue
Unknown
Queens Avenue
Unknown
Richmond Avenue
Unknown
Rideau Street
Unknown
Rosser Avenue
Named for Thomas Lafayette Rosser, Chief Engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Russell Street
Unknown
Schwitzer Avenue
Unknown
Sifton Avenue
Probably named for politician Clifford Sifton
MHS
Soo Street
Unknown
Southern Avenue
Unknown
Stickney Avenue
Named for Alpheus Beede Stickney, General Manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, who was replaced in this position by William Cornelius Van Horne on 1 January 1882.
Swanson Avenue
Unknown
Sykes Boulevard
Named for city official George Frederick Sykes
MHS
Taylor Bay
Unknown
Templeton Drive
Possibly named for physician Charles Perry Templeton
Unrau Place
Unknown
Van Horne Avenue
Named for railwayman William Cornelius Van Horne
Victoria Avenue
Named for Queen Victoria
MHS
Village Drive
Unknown
Waterloo Crescent
Unknown
Waverly Drive
Unknown
Whillier Drive
Unknown
Whitehead Crescent
Probably named for Joseph Blyth Whitehead
MHS
Williamson Drive
Named for Brandon mayor Franklin Truman Williamson
MHS
Winston Bay
Unknown
Winter Bay
Named for Brandon mayor William Winter
MHS
Woodsley Bay
Unknown
Young Avenue
Named for Brandon mayor Frederick Henry Young
MHS
1. The Assiniboine Basin by Martin Kavanagh.
2. “The forgotten history of First Street North” by Graeme Bruce, Brandon Sun, 28 June 2014.
3. Email communication, Andy Schroeder, 23 March 2010.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 2 September 2023
