Memorable Manitobans: Robert Bryan Ross (1908-1983)

Architect.

Born at Morris on 3 July 1908, son of Robert Laughlan Ross and Mary Eleanor Davies, he studied Architecture at the University of Manitoba, winning an Isbister scholarship, then began working for the Manitoba Telephone System, rising to become its Chief Architect and Superintendent of Buildings. He retired in 1973. On 16 January 1932, he married Hazel May Stevenson (1906-1991) at Morris and they had a daughter. He was a member of St. Aidan’s Anglican Church and Southwood Golf and Country Club. He died at Victoria, British Columbia on 14 December 1983.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building

Location

Year

Status

Fort Rouge Telephone Exchange Building (expansion)

628-640 Corydon Avenue, Winnipeg

1948-1950

 

Manitoba Telephone System Building (addition)

19 Ninth Street, Brandon

1949

 

Flin Flon Telephone Exchange Building

31 Third Avenue, Flin Flon

1950

 

Pine Falls Telephone Exchange Building

?

1950

 

Telephone Repeater Station

RM of Grey

1950

 

Telephone Repeater Station

Municipality of Oakland-Wawanesa

1950

 

Telephone Repeater Station

RM of Victoria

1950

 

Telephone Repeater Station

RM of Whitehead

1950

 

Dauphin Telephone Exchange Building

39 Third Avenue Northeast, Dauphin

1951

 

St. James Telephone Exchange Building

2491 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1952

 

Telephone Repeater Station

RM of Morris

c1952

 

Norwood Telephone Exchange Building (addition)

235A Horace Street, Winnipeg

1952

 

Portage la Prairie Telephone Exchange Building (addition)

16 Royal Road South, Portage la Prairie

1953

 

Transcona Telephone Exchange Building (addition)

101 Victoria Avenue West, Winnipeg

1954

Demolished (?)

Fort Rouge Telephone Exchange Building (expansion)

628-640 Corydon Avenue, Winnipeg

1955

 

Carman Telephone Exchange Building

?

1956

 

St. Vital Telephone Exchange Building

460 St. Anne's Road, Winnipeg

1956

 

Steinbach Telephone Exchange Building

222 Main Street, Steinbach

1958

 

Portage la Prairie Telephone Exchange Building (addition)

16 Royal Road South, Portage la Prairie

1959

 

Transcona Telephone Exchange Building (addition)

101 Victoria Avenue West, Winnipeg

1959

Demolished (?)

Morden Telephone Exchange Building

Seventh Street, Morden

1960

 

Transcona Telephone Exchange Building (addition)

101 Victoria Avenue West, Winnipeg

1960

Demolished (?)

Selkirk Telephone Exchange Building (addition)

321 Manitoba Avenue, Selkirk

1962

 

Boissevain Telephone Exchange Building

500 Mountain Street, Boissevain, Municipality of Boissevain-Morton

1963

 

Gimli Telephone Exchange Building

?

1963

 

Pinawa Telephone Exchange Building

Burrows Road, Pinawa

1963

 

Winkler Telephone Exchange Building

Third Street, Winkler

1963

 

Manitoba Telephone System Building (alterations)

19 Ninth Street, Brandon

1964

 

Fort Garry Telephone Exchange Building

2765 Pembina Highway, Winnipeg

1966

 

Eriksdale Telephone Exchange Building

?

1966

 

Neepawa Telephone Exchange Building

Hamilton Street, Neepawa

1966

 

Poplarfield Telephone Exchange Building

New Plains Road, Poplarfield, RM of Fisher

1966

 

Austin Telephone Exchange Building

?

1967

 

Beausejour Telephone Exchange Building (addition)

75 Third Street South, Beausejour

1967

 

MacGregor Telephone Exchange Building

?

1967

 

Oakville Telephone Exchange Building

Third Avenue, Oakville, RM of Portage la Prairie

1967

 

Ste. Rose du Lac Telephone Exchange Building

First Avenue East, Ste. Rose du Lac, Municipality of Ste. Rose

1967

 

Cranberry Portage Telephone Exchange Building

?

1968

 

Dominion City Telephone Exchange

Waddell Avenue East, Dominion City, Municipality of Emerson-Franklin

1968

 

Elie Telephone Exchange Building

?

1968

 

Headingley Telephone Exchange Building

?

1968

 

Middlebro Telephone Exchange Building

?

1968

 

Minnedosa Telephone Exchange Building (addition)

?

1968

 

Saint Malo Telephone Exchange Building

?

1968

 

Virden Telephone Exchange Building

Wellington Street West, Virden

1968

 

Vita Telephone Exchange Building

?

1968

 

East Kildonan Telephone Exchange Building

691 Gateway Road, Winnipeg

1969

 

St. Vital Telephone Exchange (addition)

460 St. Anne's Road, Winnipeg

1971

 

Sources:

Marriage registration [Mary Eleanor Davis, Robert P. Ross], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Birth registrations [Hazel May Stevenson, Robert Bryan Ross], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Scholarships - Architecture,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 May 1927, page 5.

Marriage registration [Bryan Robert Ross, May Hazel Stevenson], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Death registration [Robert Bryan Ross], British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 20 December 1983, page 44.

Obituary [Hazel May Ross], Winnipeg Free Press, 27 June 1991, page 41.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 8 October 2023

Memorable Manitobans

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