Memorable Manitobans: William Wallace Blair (1852-1916)

William Wallace Blair Click to enlarge

Architect.

William Wallace Blair Click to enlarge

Born at Anktelle Lodge, Stewartstown, Tyrone County, Ireland on 14 December 1852, son of McCrea Parker and Eliza Blair, he was educated at the Academical Institute of Belfast, Ireland, later serving as a pupil under Charles Sherry of Belfast. He commenced a professional career at Middlesborough-on-Tees, England in 1874.

He came to Canada in 1876 and resided in Hamilton and Toronto until 1884, then returned to Ireland as resident engineer in Londonderry and Ballymena waterworks system until 1889. He then moved to Chicago and practiced his profession there for fifteen years. He came to Winnipeg in 1905 and practiced until early 1907 with George William Northwood.

In 1879, he married Margaret Maria Bastedo (1856-1948) of Toronto and they had a son and a daughter: McCrea Parker Blair and Marguerite Marie Blair (1884-1975, wife of William Whyte). He was a member of the St. Charles Country Club, Adanac Club, Hamilton Club (Chicago) and the AF & AM. He was a Fellow of the Royal Architect Institute of Canada, and a member of the Manitoba Association of Architects and the Royal Society of Arts of London. He enjoyed golf and fishing.

He retired to Victoria, British Columbia in 1911 where he died on 17 July 1916.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Boyce Block	48 Lydia Street, Winnipeg	1906
Henderson Directories Building	279-281 Garry Street, Winnipeg	1906	Demolished (1972)
Northern Bank Building	139 Main Street, Melita	1906
Ryan Block	44 Princess Street, Winnipeg	1906
Ryan House	5 East Gate, Winnipeg	1906
Princeton Apartments	312 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg	1907-1909
Whyte House	66 Kingsway, Winnipeg	1907
Minnedosa High School No. 232	Minnedosa	1908	Demolished (?)
Morris School No. 29	Morris	1908	Demolished (?)
Warwick Apartments	366 Qu’Appelle Avenue / 374 Carlton Street, Winnipeg	1908-1909
Adelaide Block (addition)	103-111 Osborne Street, Winnipeg	1909
Henderson Directories Building (addition)	279-281 Garry Street, Winnipeg	1909
Kenmore Block	314 Broadway, Winnipeg	1909
Notre Dame Block	406 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg	1909
Rookery Block	281-285 Smith Street, Winnipeg	1909	Demolished (2020)
Roslyn Court Apartments	40 Osborne Street, Winnipeg	1909
St. James Park Block	233 Beverley Street, Winnipeg	1909
Great West Saddlery Building	113 Market Avenue, Winnipeg	1910
St. Mary’s Court	371 St. Mary Avenue, Winnipeg	1910	Demolished (?)
Tupper House	147 West Gate, Winnipeg	1910
Farmer Block	333 Main Street, Winnipeg	1910-1911	Demolished (1980)
Blair House	139 Middle Gate, Winnipeg	1911
Justice School No. 696	Justice, RM of Elton	1911
Fortune House	393 Wellington Crescent, Winnipeg	1911
Moore Park School No. 1008	Moore Park, RM of Minto-Odanah	1911	Demolished (?)
Grey School No. 1356	Clanwilliam, RM of Minto-Odanah	1912	Demolished (?)
Hill House	20 East Gate, Winnipeg	1912

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Verhoeven House (137 West Gate, Winnipeg)

Sources:

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, edited by C. W. Parker, Vancouver: Canadian Press Association, 1911.

Death registration, British Columbia Vital Statistics.

“Former resident dead,” Manitoba Free Press, 20 July 1916, page 4.

Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950 by Robert G. Hill, Toronto.

We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 2 April 2024

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!