Manitoba Business: Bready, Love and Tryon / Winnipeg Elevator Company / Canadian Elevator Company

Link to:
Country Elevators | Sources

This Winnipeg-based company was established in 1897 as Bready, Love and Tryon by partners Thomas Turnnel Wadsworth Bready, John Love, and Charles Robert Tryon. In early 1899, it was incorporated as the Winnipeg Elevator Company with Bready, Love, and Tryon as shareholders, along with James Carruthers and James Walter Band of Toronto.

In September 1907, Love and Tryon sold their interests in the company to the principals of the Canadian Elevator Company, which had been formed in 1902: E. C. Warner, George Frank Piper, Frederick Eugene Kenaston, Walter D. Douglas, and William Henry McWilliams, most of whom were based at Minneapolis, Minnesota. McWilliams was installed as President of the firm and henceforth its country elevators were identified as belonging to the Canadian Elevator Company.

Some employees of the company who were killed during service in the First World War were commemorated at a 61st Battalion concert held at the Walker Theatre on 13-14 December 1915, in a 101st Battalion souvenir program dedicated to Colonel Henry Norlande Ruttan on 24 April 1916, or in a 144th Battalion military vaudeville held at the Winnipeg Theatre on 9-11 March 1916.

In 1928, it merged with several other companies to form the Canadian Consolidated Grain Company.

Presidents (Winnipeg Elevator)

Period	President
1899-1903	Thomas Turnnel Wadsworth Bready (1854-1903)
1903-1907	John Love (1856-1939)

Vice-Presidents (Winnipeg Elevator)

Period	Vice-President
1899-1903	John Love (1856-1939)
1903-1907	?

Secretary-Treasurers (Winnipeg Elevator)

Period	Secretary-Treasurer
1899-1907	Robert James Howden (1868-1943)

Presidents (Canadian Elevator)

Period	President
1902-?	Walter D. Douglas
?-1906	?
1906-1928	William Henry “Bill” McWilliams (1860-1942)

Vice-Presidents (Canadian Elevator)

Period	Vice-President
1902-1906	William Henry “Bill” McWilliams (1860-1942)
1906-?	Clarence Brett Piper (1882-1955)

Secretary-Treasurers (Canadian Elevator)

Period	Secretary-Treasurer
1902-?	George Frank Piper (1856-1917)
?-1907	?
1907-1910	Robert James Howden (1868-1943)

Country Elevators (Manitoba)

Location	No.	Rail	Opened	Closed	Capacity (bushels)	Comments
Argue		CNR	c1901	1919	18,000
Ashdown		CNR	1898	1919	25,000
Baldur		CNR	1898	-	30,000	Merged into Canadian Consolidated Grain (1928)
Beaver		CNR	c1901	-	25,000
Beresford		CPR	1897	c1913	25,000
Brumlie		CNR	Bef 1909	-	35,000	Moved from Oak River (1909), merged into Canadian Consolidated Grain (1928)
Carberry		CPR	1897	c1913	25,000
Carman		CPR	1898	-	25,000
Carroll		CPR	c1900	1910	27,000	Sold to Elevator Commission (September 1910)
Clearwater		CPR	1897	c1901	25,000
Crandall		CPR	1899	c1913	30,000
Elgin		CNR	1899	-	20,000	Merged into Canadian Consolidated Grain (1928)
Fairfax		CNR	1899	-	20,000	Merged into Canadian Consolidated Grain (1928)
Fannystelle	53	CPR	c1901	-	25,000	Merged into Canadian Consolidated Grain (1928)
Hilton		CNR	1898	c1901	25,000
Holmfield		CPR	c1901	c1901	25,000
Killarney		CPR	1898	1912	25,000
Kirkella		CPR	1898	1919	25,000
Letellier		CNR	1898	c1901	25,000
Lowe Farm		CNR	1898	-	16,000	Merged into Canadian Consolidated Grain (1928)
Macdonald		CPR	c1901	c1901	35,000
Margaret		CNR	1899	c1901	20,000
Miami		CNR	1898	c1901	30,000
Miniota	47	CPR	1899	c1901	28,000
Morden		CPR	1898	1899	50,000
Myrtle		CNR	1898	c1901	16,000
Ninette		CNR	1899	1923	20,000
Ninga	76	?	?	?	?
Oak Lake	20	CPR	1897	c1913	25,000
Oak River		CPR	1897	c1913	25,000
Oakland		CNR	1899	c1913	20,000
Oakville	25	CNR	1898	c1901	16,000
Pierson	82		c1904	?	30,000
Plum Coulee		CPR	1897	c1901	25,000
Purves		CPR	1899	-	25,000	Merged into Canadian Consolidated Grain (1928)
Ridgeville		?	1901	?	25,000	Bought from George Pocock (?), sold to Manitoba Government (?), sold to Paterson Grain (1919)
Roland		CNR	1898	c1901	25,000
Rosebank		CNR	1898	-	30,000	Merged into Canadian Consolidated Grain (1928)
Ste. Agathe		CNR	1898	c1913	16,000
Sinclair	27
Swan Lake		CNR	c1901	c1901	25,000
Wellwood		CPR	c1901	c1901	25,000
Winkler		CPR	1898	c1899	25,000
Winnipeg	1	?	?	?	?

First World War Casualties

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Robert O'Dowd [Next of Kin]	Clerk	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	23 January 1884	28 April 1915

Sources:

“The Winnipeg Elevator Co.,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 January 1899, page 1.

“Notice,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 April 1899, page 2.

“Important change in elevator co.,” Manitoba Free Press, 30 September 1907, page 11.

“Robert J. Howden, grain broker, dies in hospital,” Winnipeg Tribune, 12 August 1943, page 13.

We thank John C. Everitt, Butch Pearson, and Vic Mollot for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 10 December 2023