Manitoba Business: Manitoba Bridge and Iron Works / Manitoba Bridge and Engineering Works

Founded in 1902 by Thomas Russ Deacon and Hugh Buxton Lyall, the firm occupied a 15-acre site on Logan Avenue in Winnipeg for much of its history. It provided structural steel for numerous Winnipeg landmarks, including the Legislative Building and Union Station. In 1918, it purchased the Manitoba Rolling Mills at Selkirk then, in 1930, it became a division of Dominion Bridge. At that point, it left the fabrication of structural steel products to its parent company and instead focused on other areas of steel fabricating and manufacturing, operating under the name of Manitoba Bridge and Engineering Works. The company was dissolved in August 1982.

Some Manitoba structures constructed using its products:

Structure	Location	Year	Status
All Peoples’ Mission	470 Stella Avenue, Winnipeg	1909
Orpheum Theatre	283 Fort Street, Winnipeg	1910-1911	Demolished (1946)
Winnipeg Hydro Substation No. 1	54 King Street, Winnipeg	1910-1911
Merchants Bank Building	1386 Main Street, Winnipeg	1913
Winnipeg Hebrew Free School (Talmud Torah)	220 Andrews Street, Winnipeg	1922-1923
Steel Pony Truss Bridge	Brokenhead River, RM of Brokenhead	1927
Steel Pony Truss Bridge	Valley River, Municipality of Grandview	1928
Canadian National Railway Bridge	Minnewashta Creek, Municipality of Prairie View	1928-1929
Steel Pony Truss Bridge	Mossey River, Winnipegosis, RM of Mossey River	1929
Crescent Garage and Auto Sales Building	791 Corydon Avenue, Winnipeg	1927-1928
Peck Building (fire escape)	33 Princess Street, Winnipeg	1928
Brandon Indian Residential School	RM of Cornwallis	1929-1930	Demolished (August 2000)
Birtle Indian Residential School	Ninth Street, Birtle, Municipality of Prairie View	1930-1931
Neepawa Salt Works	Mountain Avenue, Neepawa	1940	Demolished (1970)

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Thomas Russ Deacon (1865-1955)

Memorable Manitobans: Hugh Buxton Lyall (1877-1948)

Memorable Manitobans: Hugh A. Mackay (1880-1967)

Manitoba Business: Dominion Bridge Company

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Rolling Mills (27 Main Street, Selkirk)

Sources:

“Contract awarded for bridge over Brokenhead,” Manitoba Free Press, 5 May 1927, page 4.

“Steel markets improve,” Winnipeg Free Press, 11 May 1971, page 14.

“Notice of liquidation Manitoba Bridge & Engineering Works, Limited,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 January 1983, page 17.

We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 12 September 2025