Historic Sites of Manitoba: Great-West Life Assurance Company Building and War Memorial (60 Osborne Street, Winnipeg)
This building on Osborne Street in Winnipeg, designed by Toronto architects Marani and Morris and the Winnipeg firm of Moody Moore and Partners, was built between 1958 and 1959 by contractor Gerard Alphonsus “Gerry” Baert at the former site of the Winnipeg Amphitheatre and Osborne Stadium.
Plaques in the lobby of the building list employees who were killed during service in the First World War and Second World War. They were unveiled originally at ceremonies held on 11 November 1921 and 11 November 1948, respectively.

Great-West Life Assurance Building (December 2012)
Source: George Penner

Great-West Life War Memorial (November 2018) Source: Gary Craven

Great-West Life War Memorial (November 2018) Source: Gary Craven
Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.88387, W97.14955 denoted by symbol on the map above
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First World War
Name |
Occupation |
Service |
Rank |
Birth Date |
Death Date |
Geoffrey Lloyd Adams |
Land & Timber Valuator |
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry |
Private |
9 August 1881 |
8 May 1915 |
George Herbert Armshaw
[Maryland Methodist, Next of Kin] |
Clerk |
78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry |
Private |
20 March 1897 |
9 April 1917 |
John Henry McLeod |
Collector |
100th Battalion, Canadian Infantry |
Private |
24 April 1890 |
14 March 1917 |
Ella Marie Nichols |
Nurse |
Volunteer Aid Division |
Volunteer Nurse |
20 March 1896 |
13 November 1918 |
Robert Edwin Dawe Pollard MM |
Insurance Clerk |
8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry |
Sergeant Major |
8 April 1894 |
23 December 1918 |
Albert Edward Sheppard |
Insurance Clerk |
52nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry |
Private |
4 June 1894 |
23 May 1918 |
Second World War
Name |
Service |
Rank |
Birth Date |
Death Date |
Huntley Donald Brander |
7 (RAF) Squadron |
Pilot Officer |
4 July 1915 |
30 June 1941 |
Thomas Leonard Brandson |
HMSC Athabaskan, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve |
Paymaster Lieutenant |
28 June 1915 |
29 April 1944 |
Richard Charles Holmes |
HMCS Prevost, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve |
Lieutenant |
16 December 1912 |
5 September 1945 |
John Campbell Lawrence |
HMCS Shawinigan, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve |
Lieutenant |
23 November 1916 |
24 November 1944 |
James Frankish Maguire |
37 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force |
Flight Lieutenant |
6 May 1915 |
14 September 1942 |
William Vaughan Mitchell |
Winnipeg Grenadiers, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps |
Lieutenant |
19 May 1905 |
20 December 1941 |
Robert Riley Perry |
407 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force |
Flight Lieutenant |
31 December 1912 |
24 March 1944 |
John Samuel Ritchie |
78 (RAF) Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force |
Flying Officer |
12 June 1917 |
13 June 1944 |
Arthur Evans Snell |
42 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force |
Flying Officer |
22 April 1911 |
16 October 1941 |
Errol Hilliard Treleaven |
416 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force |
Flight Lieutenant |
1 June 1916 |
25 September 1944 |
William Ross Willard |
Royal Canadian Air Force |
Sergeant |
5 August 1917 |
2 July 1943 |
George Dealtry Woodcock |
Veterans Guard of Canada |
Lieutenant |
28 November 1886 |
11 February 1945 |
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Amphitheatre (49 Whitehall Avenue, Winnipeg)
Manitoba Business: Moody and Moore / MMP Architects
Memorable Manitobans: Gerard Alphonsus “Gerry” Baert (1906-1971)
MHS Centennial Business: Great-West Life Assurance Company
Sources:
“Unveil a tablet,” Manitoba Free Press, 12 November 1921, page 19.
“Great-West Life plaque unveiled,” Winnipeg Free Press, 11 November 1948, page 36.
For the names of First World War casualities from Manitoba who do not appear on any physical monument in the province, see the Manitoba Historical Society War Memorial. If you know of a name that is omitted from this list, please contact the MHS War Memorial Researcher Darryl Toews (darryl@mhs.mb.ca).
Soldiers of the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.
Canadian Virtual War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Canada.
Financial support for research reported on this page was provided by the Manitoba Heritage Grants Program (2015-2016).
Great-West Life Building, 60 Osborne Street by Murray Peterson, Peterson Projects, February 2008.
We thank Gary Craven for providing information used here.
This page was prepared by Darryl Toews and George Penner.
Page revised: 13 July 2023
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