Tailor, municipal official.
Born at Banffshire, Scotland on 28 February 1861, he attended public school there and, at the age of 12, apprenticed in a merchant tailor shop. A journeyman tailor at the age of 19, he emigrated to Canada around 1882, settled at Winnipeg and, within a few months, had opened his own tailor shop, working in the field for 23 years. During his years in business, he was active within several trade and commerce associations and maintained a storefront presence at 360 Main Street (1880-?) and 318 Main Street (?-1904).
Around the turn of the century, he began active engagement in civic affairs and served on the Winnipeg Parks Board (14 years including 1901-1904, 1913-1918; Chairman 1902-1904, 1914-1918). For Sanderson, 1904 saw several notable events transpire. In April that year, he ventured into realty with the commissioning of the Sandison Block, followed with retirement from his tailoring profession and sale of his business to W. T. Peace & Company in September, and his resignation from the Parks Board in in December having been elected to Winnipeg City Council in December 1904, representing Ward 2 (1905-1906). He would again run for Council again in later years, including unsuccessfully in 1918. While on Council, he was Chairman of the Carnegie Library Committee in charge of the opening of the Carnegie Library in 1904, chaired the Finance Committee, and a member of the Works and Property, Fire, Water and Light, Trade and Commerce, and Entertainment Committees. He attended the 1905 founding meeting, in Brandon, of the Union of Manitoba Municipalities. He was also Chairman and member of committee of Knowles Home for Boys. Sandison has an enduring monument in Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park for whose founding he was responsible. Among his other accomplishments was the inspiration origin for the naming of Banff, Alberta, after Banff of his native Scotland, as conveyed to via shared acquaintances to Canadian Pacific Railway President George Stephens who accepted and adopted the idea. In April 1940, he received a lifetime membership at all golf courses overseen by the Parks Board.
On 6 November 1885, he married Christina Ross (1865-1944) of Galt, Ontario and they had six children: Lillian “Lily” Sandison (1886-?, wife of William O. Edmunds), William Ross Sandison (1888-?), Harry McFarlane Sandison (1894-1941), Vera Belle Sandison (1896-?, wife of Frederick J. Roschman), Jean Hendry Sandison (1898-?), and Helen Wilhelmina Sandison (?-?, wife of Ewart Lyman Brisbin). They lived at 247 Graham Avenue for many years before moving to 412 Assiniboine Avenue. He was a member of Knox United Church, Masons (St. John’s Lodge), and St. Andrew’s Society of Winnipeg (President, 1903-1904).
He died at the Winnipeg General Hospital on 1 May 1942 and was buried in the Old Kildonan Cemetery.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Sandison Block (302-304 Main Street, Winnipeg)
Birth, marriage, and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
“[Ad; My stock of fashionable goods...],” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 29 May 1890, page 8.
“Harry Sandison sells out,” Manitoba Free Press, 5 September 1904, page 10.
“Announcement [Having purchased the business conducted for the past 23 years by Mr. Harry Sandison ...],” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 September 1904, page 12.
“Park named Assiniboine,” Winnipeg Tribune, 30 December 1904, page 14.
“New member of The Parks Board,” Manitoba Free Press, 14 August 1912, page 14.
“Ratifies decision to hold exhibition,” Manitoba Free Press, 28 January 1913, page 7.
“Sandison again to preside at the Parks Board,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 February 1914, page 7.
“People's golf course being planned,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 January 1915, page 7.
“Winnipeg boy successful,” Manitoba Free Press, 18 May 1917, page 5.
“Pulford a Winner,” Manitoba Free Press, 30 November 1918, page 10.
“The man who named Banff,” Lethbridge Herald, 23 September 1939, page 20.
“Parks past-Chairmen given life golf passes,” Winnipeg Tribune, 29 April 1940, page 3.
“Harry Sandison dies in Montreal,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 January 1941, page 2.
“Harry Sandison, retired tailor, dies early Friday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 May 1942, page 2.
Obituary, Western Municipal News, May 1942, page 115.
“Many attend funeral of Harry Sandison,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 May 1942, page 14.
Winnipeg estate files (ATG 0025A), #30088 Henry Sandison, GR4865, Archives of Manitoba.
“Forty years ago - Nov. 3, 1903,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 November 1943, page 3.
Winnipeg estate files (ATG 0025A), 32669 Christina R. Sandison, GR505, Archives of Manitoba.
“Fifty years ago - Dec. 30, 1904,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 December 1954, page 3.
“Sandison paths meet in Winnipeg,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 September 1955, page 18.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 5 November 2023
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