Link to:
Superintendents | Sources
In late 1907, railway clerk William Alfred “Wilfred” Knowles took pity on an orphaned boy he found on the street, taking him to his boarding house on Hargrave Street in Winnipeg and feeding him. Word spread of Knowles’ kindness and soon he had several destitute boys under his care. He appealed to his friends for help and, on 3 December 1907, the Knowles Home for Boys opened at 738 Broadway. It provided accommodation and meals for abandoned and orphaned boys between the ages of 11 and 16 years, under the supervision of Knowles and matron Mrs. Siddall, with an advisory board made up of Martha Jane Hample, Alfred Price of the CPR, D. Forrester, William Bell, David S. Robb, and J. S. Stevenson.
As demand for space grew, Knowles resigned his railway job to focus on management of the facility. By the summer of 1908, it had moved to larger quarters at 556 Bannatyne Avenue and the facility was formally incorporated. In 1909, with the number of boys in care still increasing, it moved to a former Old Folks’ Home at 582 McDermot Avenue. Members of the public donated materials for its operation, and later the City of Winnipeg provided an annual operating grant of $500.
In 1912, construction of a dedicated building began on a forty-acre site along Henderson Highway. Designed and built at a cost of around $58,000 by James McDiarmid, the two-storey structure opened in 1912 with eventual accommodation for up to 75 boys. Bequests from the estates of prominent Winnipeggers such as Duncan Macdonald and Joseph Maw provided much-needed funds for its completion over the next four years. The boys were taught basic gardening skills and attended a school administered by the Winnipeg School Board.
By 1924, the Board of Directors consisted of W. P. Riley (President), Mrs. E. S. Bleakeney (Honorary Secretary), Mrs. R. Bickerton, Mrs. P. F. Braund, Bruce Campbell, Mrs. E. R. Chapman, Arthur E. Rowland, Mrs. J. J. Wallace, J. Arthur Wilson, and Fred W. Young. Later that year, the facility was renamed the Knowles School for Boys, reflecting its growing focus on the educational needs of the residents.
The main building was destroyed by fire in 1959 and was replaced. Gradually, the emphasis of the facility shifted to address boys with emotional and behavioural issues, and later began offering counselling for victims of sexual abuse. It was renamed the Knowles Centre in October 1979 and, two years later, it began accepting girls as well as boys.
Period
Superintendent / Executive Director / CEO
1907-1914
William Alfred “Wilfred” Knowles (1886-1915)
1914-1916
Robert Douglas Cameron (1879-1955)
1916
Charles George Manness (1870-1954)
1917-1922
Alfred H. Hanna (1878-1961)
1922-1931
Maurice Rupert Ford (1886-1967)
1931-1951
Charles James Hawkins (1889-1951)
1951-1955
Daniel H. “Dan” Young (1910-1994)
1955-1959
Douglas Henry Walter “Doug” Lawrence (1926-2015)
1959-1964
Rev. William Dixon
1964-1967
Jack Hawthorn
1967-1974
Keith Black
1975-1980
Donald “Don” McClintock
1980-1984
Dr. Charles Meltzer
1984-1991
Dr. Rudy Ambtman
1991-1998
Gerald Cattani
1998-2004
David “Dave” Waters
2004-2023
Dr. Michael Burdz
2023
Grant Obirek
2023-?
Mia Guenther
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Simpson House / Wright Apartments (556 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Knowles School / John G. Stewart School (2069 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg)
“Home for boys,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 December 1907, page 9.
“Knowles Home,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 January 1908, page 12.
“The Knowles Boys’ Home, where men are made of little boys,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 November 1911, page 4.
“Ask for increase of grant,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 October 1912, page 11.
“Knowles Home for Boys,” Winnipeg Tribune, 30 September 1916, page 50.
“Who knows the heart of a boy,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 July 1920, page 7.
“Put the budget over,” Winnipeg Tribune, 13 November 1922, page 7.
“Knowles School shows progress,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 February 1925, page 5.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
“Young named Knowles School Superintendent,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 April 1951, page 3.
History, Knowles Centre [Internet Archive, 28 June 2016]
We thank Nathan Kramer, Janet Hamel, and Darryl Toews for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 2 May 2024
