Memorable Manitobans: William Bruce (1852-?)

Architect.

Born at Caithness-shire, Scotland in August 1852, son of John Bruce and Ann Christian, he attended Haldene Academy at Glasgow after which he apprenticed in architecture then practiced as an architect at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London. He designed buildings in Leeds and Yorkshire, was a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts, and the Edinburgh Association of Science and Arts. He emigrated to Winnipeg in 1906 where he continued his architectural practice in partnership with Daniel Smith. Few records survive of the buildings that he designed. In 1912, he unveiled an ambitious plan for a large urban center, dubbed Roblin City, at the mouth of the Churchill River on Hudson Bay, site of present-day Churchill. He also championed a native Manitoba stone for building purposes that he called Manitobite. He formed a company, Manitobite Stone Works Limited, to market the stone. He was married to Anne Edward (1852-1915). They had no children. In 1911, the couple lived at 302 Langside, Winnipeg. He appears to have moved to the United States but no record of his whereabouts after 1921 have yet been found.

His architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Mount Royal Hotel	287 Garry Street, Winnipeg	1906-1907
Beveridge Block	800-806 Main Street, Winnipeg	1907	Destroyed by fire (2021)
Fire Hall No. 2 (addition)	Smith Street, Winnipeg	1907-1908	Demolished (1941)
Minnewaska Court / Chateau Apartments	74 Spence Street, Winnipeg	1910
L. P. Court	21 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg	1911	Demolished (?)
Pritchard Avenue Public Baths	Charles Street, Winnipeg	1911	Demolished (?)
British and Foreign Bible Society Building (Ukrainian Cultural Centre)	184 Alexander Avenue East, Winnipeg	1912
Russell School No. 273	Russell	1913	Demolished (?)
Simcoe Apartments	614 Simcoe Street, Winnipeg	1913-1914

See also:

Roblin City: A Gleaming Metropolis on the Bay by James Burns and Gordon Goldsborough
Manitoba History, Number 68, Spring 2012

Sources:

“Apartment buildings and hotels,” Manitoba Free Press, 21 November 1907, page 28.

“Winnipeg’s big building development during 1908,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 December 1908, page 31.

1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

The Story of Manitoba by F. H. Schofield, Winnipeg: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913.

“Deaths and funerals,” Manitoba Free Press, 18 February 1915, page 32.

“Words of praise from William Bruce a former Winnipegger,” Winnipeg Tribune, 14 March 1921, page 3.

Winnipeg Building Index.

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

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 2 October 2023

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: 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!