Memorable Manitobans: Edward Cass (1849-1932)

Edward Cass Click to enlarge

Building contractor.

Edward Cass Click to enlarge

Born at Clemanty Mills, Ireland on 18 September 1849, son of Robert and Catherine Cass, he came to Canada as a boy. He was educated at Ottawa then commenced a career as a bricklaying contractor at Ottawa, in 1872. He came to Winnipeg in 1882. He would eventually be President of the Winnipeg Paint and Glass Company, President of the Northern Canadian Mortgage Company, and Vice-President of the Western Canada Acceptance and Guarantee Insurance Company.

In 1876, he married Catherine McPyke (1853-1943) of Hull, Quebec. They had three children: Gertrude Cass (1881-?, wife of Frank Lenahan), Roberta Alice Cass (1886-1977, wife of Thomas Joseph Murray), and Edwin Gladstone Cass (1893-1985). He served as a Winnipeg City Alderman (1909-1911) and later as a Provincial Commissioner. He was a member of the Carleton Club, Knights of Columbus, and Roman Catholic Church. In 1911, he lived at 172 Vaughan Street, Winnipeg.

He died at Winnipeg on 21 August 1932 and was buried in the St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Some of his construction works in Manitoba included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Cass Block	279 Fort Street, Winnipeg	1900	Demolished (?)
McKerchar Block (with Jon J. Vopni)	600 Main Street, Winnipeg	1903

See also:

Manitoba Business: Winnipeg Paint and Glass Company

Sources:

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

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.

“Ed. Cass, pioneer contractor and builder, expires,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 August 1932, page 5. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B9]

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

The Leading Financial, Business & Professional Men of Winnipeg, published by Edwin McCormick, Photographs by T. J. Leatherdale, Compiled and printed by Stone Limited, c1913. [copy available at the Archives of Manitoba]

Death registration [Roberta Alice Cass], British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank Clare Hargrave and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 15 July 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: 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!