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: 20 November 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!