MHS Archives: History in Brandon Street Names

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

Source(s)

Aagaard Avenue

Named for a restaurant proprietor

3

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

2

Braecrest Drive

Unknown

 

Brock Avenue

Named for farmer John A. Brock, who owned the land where the street is located, prior to 1883

1

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”

Kavanagh

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

Kavanagh

Hilton Avenue

Named for Hilton McGregor, son of Manitoba Lieutenant-Governor James Duncan McGregor. See also John Avenue and McGregor Avenue.

Kavanagh

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.

Kavanagh

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.

Kavanagh

Louise Avenue

Named for Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria and wife to the Marquis of Lorne. See Lorne Avenue.

Kavanagh

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.

Kavanagh

McEwen Drive

Unknown

 

McGregor Avenue

Named for John McGregor, brother to Manitoba Lieutenant-Governor James Duncan McGregor. See also Hilton Avenue and John Avenue

Kavanagh

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

Kavanagh

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.

Kavanagh

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

Kavanagh

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

Sources:

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