Memorable Manitobans: James Barton Gass (1881-1954)

Building contractor.

Born at Ecclefechan, Scotland in October 1881, he came to Winnipeg in 1904 and worked as a general contractor. He and wife Jemima “Mima” Booth (1877-1953, sister-in-law of James Bertram Mitchell) had a daughter, school teacher Muriel Jean McLellan Gass (1912-1988). The family lived at 674 McMillan Avenue (?-1954). He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, St. Andrews Society, and Granite Curling Club. He died at the Misericordia Hospital on 9 February 1954 and was buried in the Brookside Cemetery.

Some of his construction works in Manitoba included:

Building

Location

Year

Status

Mitchell House

45 East Gate, Winnipeg

1930

 

Gilchrist House

1015 Wellington Crescent, Winnipeg

1932

Demolished (2022)

CKY Radio Building

Headingley

1934

 

Equipment Depot No. 2 (renovation)

1569 Orange Street, Winnipeg

1935

 

Manitoba Telephone System Building (renovation)

166 Portage Avenue East, Winnipeg

1936

 

Red Indian Service Station (addition)

506 Academy Road, Winnipeg

1936

Demolished (?)

Red Indian Service Station (addition)

667 Osborne Street, Winnipeg

1936

Demolished (?)

Red Indian Service Station (addition)

510 Sargent Avenue, Winnipeg

1936

Demolished (?)

Sources:

1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

Birth registration [Muriel Jean McLellan Gass], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Buried today [Mrs. Mary M. Booth],” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 April 1935, page 10.

“First two house permits of the year; Permits since Jan 1 stands at $173,600,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 May 1936 , page 34.

Obituary [Mima Gass], Winnipeg Free Press, 29 April 1953, page 44.

“City contractor, J. B. Gass, dies in hospital,” Winnipeg Free Press, 10 February 1954, page 24.

Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.

Death registration [Muriel Gass], British Columbia Vital Statistics.

We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 2 April 2024

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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