In early 1899, hotel manager Thomas McGarvey formed a partnership with mason Albert B. Laird at Deloraine to produce a unique type of brick. The brick was made from sand and cement according to the Robert Bell process that originated at Hensell, Ontario. These bricks were pressed with a force of 25 tons and were a dull gray in colour. They came in standard or ornamental shape. By June 1899, their specialized equipment for this process had not yet been delivered; however, they still managed to make some bricks in Laird’s carpentry shop.
McGarvey and Laird made ornamental bricks for the arches in Gleeson and Johnstone’s stable at Deloraine. They were also used for the windowsills and arches of the home of John Reid at West Hall.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Manitoba Brick Yards by Randy Rostecki, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch Report, May 2010.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 9 May 2020
Manitoba Bricks and Blocks
A history of the manufacture of bricks and concrete blocks in Manitoba, based on research by Randy Rostecki for the Manitoba Historic Resources Branch and supplemented by information compiled by Gordon Goldsborough of the Manitoba Historical Society. .
Bricks | Blocks | People | Glossary
We thank Hugh Arklie, Gordon McDiarmid, and Heather Bertnick for their help in the development of this online guide. Financial support of the Thomas Sill Foundation is gratefully acknowledged. Additional information was provided by Ina Bramadat, David Butterfield, Neil Christoffersen, Frank Korvemaker, Ed Ledohowski, Ken Storie, Lynette Stow, and Tracey Winthrop-Meyers.
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Randy Rostecki, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch, Gordon Goldsborough, and Manitoba Historical Society.
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