This statue commemorates federal politician George-Étienne Cartier (1814-1873), donated to the Province of Manitoba in 1919 by the Cartier Centenary Committee in Montreal, Quebec. Its pedestal was designed by Frank Worthington Simon, the architect of the nearby Manitoba Legislative Building. The bronze bust of Cartier is a cast, made in Belgium, of the model made by Canadian sculptor George William Hill (1861-1934). Below the bust is a quote that Cartier made in 1870: “May the new province of Manitoba always speak to the inhabitants of the North West the language of reason, truth, and justice.”
Like the Golden Boy atop the Legislative Building, the Cartier bust was shipped across the Atlantic Ocean several times in the hold of cargo ships. It was thought to be lost so a second bust was made from the Hill's original model. The first bust was later found and the Cartier Centenary Committee found itself with two busts. They decided to donate the second one to the Province of Manitoba.
George-Étienne Cartier Statue (August 2010)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.88601, W97.14558
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Legislative Building (450 Broadway, Winnipeg)
“Cartier statue to be unveiled Sept. 6, 1922,” Winnipeg Tribune, 13 September 1921, page 11.
“A gift to Manitoba” by William James Healy, Winnipeg Tribune, 10 November 1922, page 4.
This page was prepared by Glen Toews and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 3 January 2024
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