by Fred Morris
August 2026
On 1 September 1950, my parents Lara and George Morris and sister Rose moved into a new $8,400 unfinished new house on Mandeville Street. I arrived a few months later on the day of a Winnipeg Blue Bomber playoff victory at Osborne Stadium. For the next 23 years, Mandeville Street was our homestead.
The street between Bruce and Ness currently has the honorary name of DEM Allen. Douglas Ernest Megget Allen grew up on Mandeville Street. He was a broadcast engineering pioneer, a founding member of the Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers, and a member of the Manitoba Alpine Skiing Hall of Fame and Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, and the Order Of Canada.
During our Mandeville Street years, we had easy access to many of life's needed amenities. The Deer Lodge Tennis Club with the world's biggest tennis racquet, the Assiniboine Golf Club, a playground with a small skating rink were close to our house. At the other end of the street, there was Cowtun's Drugs, a barber shop, a bakery called Woodies Goodies, Reid's Tom Boy's Grocery Store where my father George and I picked up a toy truck that I won, a hardware store, a clothing store (owned by Margaret Selinger), a dry cleaner, and a florist shop. After our family left Mandeville in the early 1970s, Gord Pennell and Dave Richardson were partners in MGM Sports Experts at 2065 Portage Avenue. Pennell was later inducted into the Manitoba Hockey of Fame as Builder. Richardson had a long association with hockey as a player and commentator.
In 1960, Frances Rowlin won a prize for the senior trumpet and solo class at the Manitoba Music Festival. In 1970, Alexandra Ivanoff took part in a student exchange with Quebec students. The Exchange was sponsored by the Council of Christians and Jews.
In 1972, Philip, Phyliss, Darryl, and Stephen Pajot built a scale model of a Canadian Forces CF104 G Super Starfighter. In 1973, Wilbert and Agnes Aikens won an award for the best beautified homesite.
Our immediate neighbours included the Tilleys, the Harms, the Leonhardts, the Spencers, the Wilsons, the Millars, the Pantings, and the Clubines. Alex (John A.) and Ruby McDonald lived next door. Ruby was an elementary school teacher at Assiniboine School. Roy, Pat Fowler and their family lived a few doors south of our house. Roy was a Hong Kong vet and had been a POW. Roy was employed by the Federal Government as a Meteorological Technician. Cornelius Friesen was the founder of the Bridge Drive Inn on Jubilee. George Dunmall, a St. James Police detective led the investigators who solved the March 1966 gold robbery. Elinor Ivanoff was the St. James Collegiate Librarian who successfully lobbied for the construction of a school library. Irene Rowlin was a St. James School Trustee, church organist, and well-known music teacher. She died at the age of 105.
Earl Fast played on the 1941 Winnipeg Rangers Memorial Cup championship team. This Rangers team is in both the Manitoba Sport Hall of Fame and Hockey Hall of Fame. Nils Ling wrote True Blue, the book on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1984 Grey Cup winning season. Andy Fast is a well-known Winnipeg denturist. Vince Orchard was a multi-sport athlete. In 1962, he pitched a no hitter for the St. James Optimists in the Little Canadian championship tournament. Doug Titterton and Bruce Spencer played in the first St. James Civic Centre hockey game. Shirley Gingell organized Red River Ex Parades, and the Winnipeg Blue Bomber Cheerleaders. During the 1990s, Stan and Shelley Wilson and their family lived in our former house. Stan was the Equipment Manager of the Winnipeg Jets 1.0. Stan continues to be one of the best in the business for the Utah hockey team. Son Denver Wilson won two Stanley Cups as the Assistant Equipment Manager with the Los Angeles Kings.
Several politicians including federal Finance Minister Mitchell Sharp (1965-1968), former City Councillor and City Finance Jae Eadie, Manitoba Finance Minister and Premier Greg Selinger, and the current Manitoba Finance Adrien Sala have lived part of their lives on Mandeville. Lots of Finance Ministers. William Hardy, the 1962 NDP provincial candidate resided on Mandeville. Irwin Kumka grew up on Mandeville. He is currently a Victoria Beach councillor.
George Robinson spent 45 years at CPR. Alexander Watt worked at Great West Life for 47 years. William Patterson worked at Eatons for half of century in Floor Coverings and as a buyer. Wilbert Aikens worked in Eatons Ladies Shoe Department for 43 years. Bill Harms worked at Eatons for over 40 years. Bill was the Manager of the Men's Shoes Department on the Main Floor. Anne Patterson, Kevin Harms, Phyliss Pajot, and Cathie Morgan Matula also worked for Eatons. Fred Sneesby was well known in the real estate business.
On 9 January 2026, Madeline (Peggy) Stewart celebrated her 100th birthday. Madeline is likely the last original owner of a Mandeville Street house to be still living in the same house. I will conclude this story remembering a miracle.
I remember a small forest on the north west corner of Portage and Mandeville. In 1959, the forest made way for the Mandeville Apartments . On 4 June 1959, a hoist collapsed causing seven construction workers to fall 40 feet. It was a miracle that all of these workers survived. The injuries were:
During the 1970s, Folklorama days, Eric, Evelyn, Sandi, and Jonathon Linquist made an important contribution to Scandinavian Pavilion. The family of Maurice Paul attended St. Stephen's.
Page revised: 11 September 2026
