This park in the St. James area of Winnipeg was named for farmer Peter Bruce (1836-1928) who resided here until his death. In 1933, his family donated the land to the city with the condition that it always remain public green space. Its history was re-discovered in 2004 by ten-year-old Bailey Herron during his research for a genealogy project. A City of Winnipeg plaque, located at the north entrance to the park on Portage Avenue, was unveiled by Herron and Winnipeg city councillor Jae Eadie on 27 August 2004. Inside the park is a cenotaph commemorating those from St. James killed during military service.
Entrance to Bruce Park with commemorative plaque unveiled in 2004 (June 2014)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Entrance to Bruce Park (September 2022)
Source: George Penner
Bruce Park commemorative plaque (September 2022)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.87820, W97.22553
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald Plaque (Bruce Park, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: St. James Cenotaph (Bruce Park, Winnipeg)
Personal Memoirs: The Bruces of St. James by Sandra Bruce
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Death registration [Peter Bruce], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Deaths,” Manitoba Free Press, 29 June 1928, page 26.
“Ten-year-old discovers it’s his ‘great-great-great-great uncle’,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 August 2004, page B7.
Information for this page was provided by The City of Winnipeg’s Planning, Property and Development Department, which acknowledges the contribution of the Government of Manitoba through its Heritage Grants Program.
We thank George Penner for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 27 November 2022
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