Historic Sites of Manitoba: MacKenzie-Papineau Battalion Plaque (William Avenue, Winnipeg)

This plaque is located near the southwest corner of the Council Building of Winnipeg City Hall (William Avenue side) and is a tribute to the 1,447 Canadians who fought with the Battalion in Spain from 1936 to 1939. There were 106 Manitobans among the soldiers, of whom 21 died and are buried in Spain. Their names and information are given below. The plaque was unveiled on 13 October 1989.

MacKenzie-Papineau Battalion Plaque (November 2010) Source: City of Winnipeg MacKenzie-Papineau Battalion Plaque (March 2021) Source: Darryl Toews Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89930, W97.14000 denoted by symbol on the map above

Title

Name	Occupation	Born	Died	Fate
Dmytro “Metro” Alexiuk	?	2 November 1916	3 April 1938	Missing in Action
Geoffrey Allstop	Jockey	26 February 1904	17 March 1938	Killed in Action
Michael “Mick” Benter	Factory / Railway worker	4 September 1899	10 August 1938	Died of Wounds
Alcide Bigras	Laborer	1914	24 August 1937	Died of Wounds
Bolis Butrimas	?	5 January 1912	3 April 1938	Died of Wounds
Nazar Demianchuck	Lumber worker	3 February 1906	1937	Died of Wounds
Ernest William Dentry	Railroad worker	1907	12 April 1938	Died of Wounds
Robert Dyer	Labourer	28 July 1908	17 March 1938	Missing in Action
John Finnegan	Blacksmith	28 March 1909	3 April 1938	Missing in Action
Karol Fronczysty	Farm worker	1903	30 May 1937	Died of Wounds
Roderick “Rod” Joseph Gillis	Miner	12 November 1900	13 October 1937	Died of Wounds
Frank Gregore	Miner	1902	1938	Died of Wounds
Henrich Hansen	Machinist	1 December 1908	28 March 1939	Died of Wounds
Theodore Kardash	Farmer	11 December 1897	8 April 1938	Died of Wounds
Frank Kennedy	?	19 November 1898	10 March 1938	Missing in Action
Jack Mackenzie	?	26 October 1919	26 July 1938	Died of Wounds
Anton Martinuk	Foundry worker, Miner	1906	1938	Died of Wounds
Fred Clarence Mowbray	Secretary of the Unemployed Single Men's Association of Winnipeg	11 May 1912	30 March 1938	Died of Wounds
Andrii Murawsky	Labourer	15 March 1895	28 July 1938	Died of Wounds
John Norum	Labourer	1902	1937	Died of Wounds
Charles (Henry Edward) Roberts	Tractor driver	18 February 1910	1937	Died of Wounds
Stanislaw Rocziak	?	31 December 1904	17 March 1938	Missing in Action
Jean M. Vianney Sauriol	?	28 November 1914	3 April 1938	Missing in Action
Samuil Shumik	?	1904	16 March 1938	Died of Wounds
Michael Stanton	?	1 August 1914	16 March 1938	Missing in Action
John Wandzilak	Lumber worker	12 February 1902	27 July 1938	Died of Wounds
Frank Maximilian Welsby	Labourer	16 December 1913	1938	Died of Wounds
Jan Ziemski	Labourer	6 January 1914	3 April 1938	Missing in Action

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Commemorative Plaques of the Winnipeg City Hall (510 Main Street, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg General Strike Plaque (William Avenue, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Titanic Plaque (Main Street, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Old City Hall Plaque (Princess Street, Winnipeg)

Sources:

“2 Winnipeg men among Aragon’s war casualties,” Winnipeg Tribune, 30 September 1937, page 24.

“Rod Gills, 22, Winnipeg resident killed in Spain,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 January 1938, page 20.

“Loyalist Spain puts up ‘no help wanted’ sign,” Winnipeg Tribune, 14 March 1938, page 1.

“Winnipeg man wounded in Spain,” Winnipeg Tribune, 23 March 1938, page 18.

“Spanish war vet dies of wounds,” Winnipeg Tribune, 29 March 1939, page 5.

“Winnipeger is killed In Spain,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 April 1938, page 1.

“2 Winnipeggers among Spanish war dead,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 May 1938, page 1.

Renegades: Canadians in the Spanish Civil War by Michael Petrou, UBC Press, 2008.

Canada and the Spanish Civil War

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.

This page was prepared by Darryl Toews and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 5 May 2026

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