Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Agricultural College / Administration Building (66 Chancellors Circle, Winnipeg)

This three-storey brick and stone building on the Fort Garry Campus of the University of Manitoba was once part of the Manitoba Agricultural College after it moved here from a site in the Tuxedo area of Winnipeg. Designed by local architects Samuel Hooper and Victor Horwood, it was constructed between 1911 and 1913 by the firm of Carter-Halls-Aldinger at a contract price of $229,000. The building originally housed college offices, post office, reading room, classrooms, laboratories, museum, and library. The exterior was finished in Tyndall stone from the Garson quarries, and inside is a large double-intersecting central staircase that connects all the offices.

Two lists painted on the walls of the west foyer in the building include staff and students of the Manitoba Agricultural College who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War, some of whom were killed in action or succumbed to wounds.

It is now the main administration building for the University of Manitoba. In February 2019, it became a municipally-designated historic building and, in 2023, it received a conservation award from Heritage Winnipeg.

Manitoba Agricultural College with the Principal’s Residence visible in the background

Manitoba Agricultural College with the Principal’s Residence visible in the background (circa 1919) by C. I. Meyers
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2013-0176

Southeast view of the University’s Administration Building

Southeast view of the University’s Administration Building (no date)
Source: Winnipeg Buildings Index

Northwest view of the University’s Administration Building

Northwest view of the University’s Administration Building (October 2020)
Source: Nathan Kramer

West side of the University’s Administration Building

West side of the University’s Administration Building (January 2021)
Source: Rose Kuzina

East side of the University’s Administration Building

East side of the University’s Administration Building (April 2021)
Source: George Penner

Manitoba Agricultural College War Memorial

Manitoba Agricultural College War Memorial (April 2013)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Manitoba Agricultural College War Memorial

Manitoba Agricultural College War Memorial (April 2013)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.80962, W97.13270
denoted by symbol on the map above

College Staff and Students Killed in Action or Died of Wounds

Name

Occupation

Service

Rank

Birth Date

Death Date

William Ellis Bacon

Farmer (Kinistino, SK)

52nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

1892

29 June 1917

Frederick Gerald Barnes
[Next of Kin]

Student

1st Canadian Mounted Rifles

Private

2 December 1892

1 October 1916

Clifford Waterworth Baskerville

Loan Company Inspector

1st Canadian Mounted Rifles

Private

18 April 1890

14 November 1917

Wilbert George Bolton
[Manitou]

Farmer (Darlingford)

78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Corporal

8 January 1894

9 April 1917

Harold Wilfred Bousfield

Farmer (MacGregor)

Royal Air Force

Cadet

1896

11 September 1918

William Arthur Bower

Surveyor

1st Army Troops Company, Canadian Engineers

Sapper

1 November 1893

29 June 1916

George Gerald Bowman

Farmer (Arden)

1st Canadian Mounted Rifles

Private

1896

15 September 1916

Frederick William Bradford

Student

44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Lieutenant

1893

23 August 1917

A. N. Butler

?

?

?

?

?

John Alured Carr
[St. Mary, Virden]

Student

16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

4 April 1896

9 October 1916

Robert George Chapman
[Armoury, Brandon College]

Farmer (Brandon)

27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

18 March 1888

21 August 1917

W. W. Coath

?

?

?

?

?

Walter Evan Cox-Smith

Farmer (High Bluff)

27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

1896

19 June 1917

Samuel Osborne Cromie

Broker

2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards

2nd Lieutenant

1891

17 November 1916

Robert Alexander Cunningham
[Brandon Armoury, Next of Kin, Westminster]

Professor of Chemistry

46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Lieutenant

1888

27 September 1918

Frank Daw

Farmer (Gleichen, AB)

The Fort Garry Horse

Tapper

1893

1 April 1918

Frank Stanley Durrant
[Alexander, Armoury, Brandon College]

Student

Canadian Machine Gun Corps

Private

23 July 1892

24 March 1918

Edward Millican Dutton

Student & Farmer (Gilbert Plains)

1st Canadian Mounted Rifles

Private

1895

5 June 1917

Edgar Gould Elliot

Farmer (Edmonton, AB)

31st Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

1895

22 May 1918

George Basil Ewens
[Clanwilliam, Minnedosa]

Farmer

5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

8 September 1888

27 December 1914

Charles Osborne Gamble
[Swan Lake]

Farmer (Swan Lake)

184th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

1896

25 July 1917

Evan Alexander Grant

Farmer (Kenville)

Canadian Machine Gun Corps

Corporal

1895

8 August 1918

F. T. Harris

?

?

?

?

?

Ernest Hermon Hawthorne
[Deloraine, Deloraine United, Verona School]

Civil Servant

Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

Private

1 August 1884

2 June 1916

William Albert Howden

?

29 Squadron, Royal Air Force

2nd Lieutenant

1896

9 November 1918

Robert Oliver Hughes

Student

10th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

1892

3 June 1916

Morgan Jones Jenkins

Student

Canadian Infantry

Lance Corporal

1888

28 August 1918

F. Kelly

?

?

?

?

?

Oscar Roland Kerr
[Franklin, Neepawa, Wesley College]

Farmer (Franklin)

2nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

1893

11 February 1916

John William Lau

Machinist

1st Canadian Mounted Rifles

Private

1894

7 April 1917

Rowland Lewis

Farm Labourer

14th King’s Hussars, British Army

Private

?

30 August 1917

Walter Lloyd

College Staff

1st Canadian Mounted Rifles

Private

22 April 1894

23 August 1917

James Fulton Lothian
[Pipestone]

Farmer (Pipestone)

78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Sergeant

1893

19 June 1920

John Gordon Lovie
[Centreville, Holland]

Farmer (Holland)

Canadian Machine Gun Corps

Private

11 January 1896

24 March 1918

John Fullarton MacIntosh

Surveyor

28th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Captain

15 February 1890

1 October 1918

Gudmundur Magnusson

Farmer (Lundar)

27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

1890

20 June 1918

Thomas McLean

College Staff (Janitor)

43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

21 October 1883

8 October 1916

Eric William Money

?

Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch), British Army

Lieutenant

1892

11 April 1917

John Elliot Muir

Farmer (Roland)

Lord Strathcona’s Horse

Private

1891

30 March 1918

Alfred Sydney Olive

Student

46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

1895

20 August 1917

Charles Grover Partridge

Farmer, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

Private

25 July 1889

15 September 1916

Aurele Prefontaine MM

Farmer (St-Pierre-Jolys)

22nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

1896

27 August 1918

Emerson Coatsworth Ramsay

Farmer (Bladworth, SK)

102nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Sergeant

1893

22 March 1917

George Gilbert Rankin
[Deloraine, Deloraine United]

Farmer (Deloraine)

8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

11 February 1896

10 November 1917

W. Richards

?

?

?

?

?

Charles Douglas Richardson

Farmer (Grenfell, SK)

Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

Lance Corporal

1891

9 April 1917

Andrew Heron Robertson

?

46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

?

29 September 1918

Matthew Robertson

Farmer

47th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Lance Corporal

26 May 1892

19 April 1918

Francis McNider Shirriff
[Armoury]

Farmer (Brandon)

25th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Lieutenant

23 February 1894

9 April 1917

Douglas Smith
[Knox Presbyterian, Portage]

Student

43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Lieutenant

22 October 1897

28 August 1918

John Cochrane Smith

Live Stock Commissioner

5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Lieutenant

1885

10 November 1917

William David Spear MM

Mechanic

1st Division Signal Company, Canadian Engineers

Sapper

1895

27 September 1918

William John Stone

College Staff

43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

1888

26 October 1917

Harry Nelson Thompson

Civil Servant

5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Lieutenant

1888

9 April 1917

Johannas Stephen Thorlakson

Farmer

8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

26 March 1889

2 July 1916

Richard Vidal

Farmer (Woodlands)

Cyclist Battalion, Canadian Corps

Private

1881

2 September 1918

Basil Henry Worsley-Worswick

Farmer

2nd King Edward Horse

Second Lieutenant

1 April 1881

29 April 1916

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Samuel Hooper (1851-1911)

Memorable Manitobans: Victor William Horwood (1878-1939)

Manitoba Business: Carter-Halls-Aldinger / Commonwealth Construction Company

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Agricultural College / University of Manitoba (Fort Garry Campus, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Agricultural College War Memorial (Chancellor Matheson Road, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites

Sources:

“$15,000 lost on contract for college,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 September 1916, page 1.

The Manitoba Provincial Architect's Office (1904-1916) by Erin A. M. Booth, MA Thesis, University of Winnipeg, November 1994, footnote #228.

Administration Building – University of Manitoba (Manitoba Agricultural College), 66 Chancellors Circle, City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings & Resources Committee, January 2018.

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).

We thank Nathan Kramer, Rose Kuzina, George Penner, and Terry Warsaw for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Darryl Toews.

Page revised: 3 June 2024

Historic Sites of Manitoba

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