Fur trader.
Born at St. Andrew’s, Manitoba in 1870, son of William Sinclair and Jane MacDonald, he was educated at Winnipeg schools and St. John’s College. Four generations of his family were commissioned officers in the employ of the Hudson’s Bay Company: His grand uncle, James Sinclair, was long looked upon as an authority on the passes in the Rockies; his mother’s father, Donald MacDonald (“Big Donald”), farmed at St. Andrew’s near the locks, and was lockmaster; Charles, his grandson, farmed the old original grant; and his father, William Sinclair, was sometime Registrar of Land Titles at Winnipeg.
Charles Sinclair entered the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1887, as a clerk at Oxford House, in the York Factory District. He served as Inspector of the Lake Superior District amd Lake Huron District, and manager of the Lake Huron District. He was post manager at Wabigon, Dinorwich, and Nipigon House, and accountant at Norway House. After leaving the Hudson’s Bay Company, she spent eight years in the Peace River District as Manager of the Rhondda interests. He returned to the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company and was in charge of the Mackenzie River District, Athabasca District (five years). He returned to Winnipeg in 1924. In 1931 he held the position of supervisor in the cash fur buying department of the company.
On 20 October 1888, he married Islay Mary Colcleugh. They had two children: Ramona Sinclair and Moray MacDougall Sinclair. He was a member of the Masons (Northern Light Lodge), Kiwanis Club, and the Anglican Church. His recreations included cricket and curling. In 1925, the family lived on Wolseley Avenue and, at the time of Sinclair’s death, at 890 Grosvenor Street.
He died at Middlechurch on 25 July 1944 and was buried in the St. Andrew’s Cemetery.
Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.
“Funeral rites Friday for C. C. Sinclair,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 July 1944. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B9, page 154]
We thank Lawrence R. Sinclair for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 29 October 2019
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