MHS Centennial Organization: Union of Manitoba Municipalities - Manitoba Association of Urban Municipalities - Association of Manitoba Municipalities

Link to:
Manitoba Urban Association - Association of Urban Municipalities | Association of Manitoba Municipalities | Honourary Life Members | Founders

In 1905, John W. Fleming invited representatives from the cities, towns, and municipalities around the province to meet in his city, Brandon, to consider a proposal for a new organization. Fifty participants arrived from 31 rural and urban municipalities in time for the opening session in the afternoon of Tuesday, 14 March. The mood was unanimously favorable, for the assembled group promptly approved the creation of a Union of Manitoba Municipalities.

Each fall, the Union held an annual meeting, usually in Brandon or Winnipeg but occasionally in places such as Portage la Prairie, Stonewall, and St. Boniface. Their purpose was to highlight common problems, develop collective responses to matters of mutual concern, and pass along useful information. The organization faltered during the early years of the Great Depression; membership fell for a few years, but the benefits were sufficiently compelling that, as the economy recovered, so too did membership statistics. Over time, the urban municipalities, which had been represented from the outset, drifted away to form their own association. The separation was temporary, however, for in 1999, the Union of Manitoba Municipalities merged with the Manitoba Association of Urban Municipalities to become the Association of Manitoba Municipalities. The AMM thrives to the present day, having its offices in Portage la Prairie, and still holding a well-attended annual meeting each fall.

On 23 April 2006, a Centennial Organization Award was presented by MHS President Gordon Goldsborough to the Association of Manitoba Municipalities Vice President Garry Wasylowski and Executive Director Joe Masi.

Manitoba Lieutenant-Governor, The Honourable John Harvard (center), presents a MHS Centennial Organization Award
to AMM Executive Director Joe Masi (left) and AMM Vice President Garry Wasylowski (right) at a ceremony on 23 April 2006.

Union of Manitoba Municipalities (1905-1998)

UMM Presidents

John William Fleming (1905-1906)	Robert Christie Cochran (1907-1908)	James F. C. Menlove (1909-1910)	Robert Forke (1911-1912)
Richard Gardner Willis (1913-1914)	Charles Edmund Ivens (1915-1916)	Duncan D. McDonald (1917-1918)	Joseph Alderic Marion (1919-1920)
John Haddow (1921-1922)	Pierce Couling (1923-1924)	James W. Mitchell (1925-1926)	Arthur Mitchell McFadyen (1927-1928)
David Leopold Mellish (1929-1930)	William Courtney Wroth (1931-1933)	Cassius Lamont Stoney (1934-1935)	George Compton (1936-1937)
Washington Hector French (1938-1939)	James Arthur Ross (1940)	Edward Sayer Browning (1941-1942)	Percy Beachell (1943-1944)
Hugh MacIntyre (1945-1946)	Russell Barrett (1947-1948)	Raymond Mitchell (1949)	Walter Ernest Clark (1950-1951)
Oswald Morton McKay (1952-1953)	Clifford Alexander McCrae (1954-1955)	Harvey Cecil Odell (1956-1957)	J. Lawrence Smith (1958-1959)
Charles Nicholas Argue (1960-1961)	David Francis "Mac" Rose (1962-1963)	James Chester Scott (1964-1965)	Arthur Thomas Hainsworth (1966-1967)
Kenneth David Rapley (1968-1969)	Robert Samuel Adrain (1970-1973)	Albert Thomas “Ab” Chapman (1974-1979)	Raymond E. Howard (1980-1981)
David Harms (1982-1983)	Alan Beachell (1983-1987)	Raymond Sigurdson (1987-1989)	Manson Moir (1989-1991)
James Alexander Knight (1991-1993)	Jack Nicol (1993-1998)	Wayne Motheral (1998)

UMM Secretary-Treasurers (Executive Directors)

John Dowglass Cardale (1905-1913)	Robert Forke (1914-1921)	Duncan D. McDonald (1922-1931)	John Spalding (1932-1948)
Russell Barrett (1949-1959)	J. Lawrence Smith (1960-1967)	James Chester Scott (1967-1976)	Warren H. Rusk (1976-1989)
Jerome Mauws (1990-1998)

Manitoba Urban Association - Manitoba Association of Urban Municipalities (1950-1998)

MUA - MAUM Presidents

William Lewis Bullmore (1950)	Edgar Allen Deacon (1951)	Cyril Steventon (1952)	Edward Ingo Dow (1953)
John Leslie Bodie (1954)	James Hubert Chipperfield (1955)	Chaim Nachman Kushner (1956)	William Whitmore (1957)
Stewart E. McLean (1958)	John Paxton (1959)	Harvey Alfred Cochlan (1959-1960)	Anthony Daniel Burneski (1960-1961)
Joseph-Philippe Guay (1961-1962)	Harold J. Mobberley (1962-1963)	James A. Burgess (1963-1964)	Harold Lloyd Henderson (1964-1965)
Peter James Kroeker (1965)	Richard Alan Wankling (1966-1967)	Stephen Juba (1967-1968)	James Hugh Campbell Dunlop (1968-1969)
David Wilfred Pekary (1969-1970)	Albert George Morden (1970-1971)	Daniel Abraham Yanofsky (1971-1972)	William Allen Linden (1972-1973)
Robert Ashley Steen (1973-1974)	Donald Edward Perry (1974-1975)	Andrew C. Newton (1975-1976)	Elwood Clinton Gorrie (1976-1977)
Lloyd R. Wersch (1977-1978)	Albert “Al” Ducharme (1978-1979)	Dougald Leslie Fletcher (1979-1980)	J. Howard Gilmour (1980-1981)
Ric Nordman (1981)	Harold Unger (1981-1982)	Elmer John Greenslade (1982-1983)	Jae Eadie (1983-1984)
Adrian De Groot (1984-1988)	Robert Stefan “Bud” Oliver (1988-1989)	Harold Gould Macdonald (1989)	Homer Gill (1989-1992)
Henry Wiebe (1992)	Stella Elizabeth Kucherawy Locker (1992-1994)	Arthur K. Dyck (1994-1995)	Margaret D. Hodgson (1995)
William Glenn Carlson (1995-1997)	Michael Maksymyk (1997-1998)	Grant Buchanan (1998)

MUA - MUAM Executive Directors

Jessica A. Coulter (1949-1950)	Peter Ferguson Copland Byars (1950-1961)	Chaim Nachman Kushner (1961-1966)	Leslie “Les” Hutcheon (1966-1969)
Gerald F. Saunders (1969-1980)	Rochelle Zimberg (1980-1998)

Association of Manitoba Municipalities (1998-present)

AMM Presidents

Wayne Motheral (1998-2001)	Stuart Briese (2001-2004)	Ron Bell (2005-2008)	Doug Dobrowolski (2008-2015)
Chris Goertzen (2015-2018)	Ralph Groening (2018-2020)	Kam Blight (2020-present)

AMM Executive Directors

Jerome Mauws (1998-2001)

Joe Masi (2001-2019)

Denys Volkov (2020-present)

Honourary Life Members

Name	Organization	Municipality
Albert Andrews	UMM	Arthur
Harry Armstrong	UMM	Shellmouth
Alan Beachell (1924-2015)	AMM	Rosser
Arcade Bedard	UMM	LaBroquerie
Ronald M. “Ron” Bell	AMM	Birtle
Arnold “Bud” Birch	AMM	Neepawa
John Leslie Bodie (1909-1997)	MAUM	East Kildonan
Lorne Boguski	AMM	Roblin
Rick Borotsik	AMM	Brandon
Alice Bourgouin	AMM	Rosser
Stuart Gordon “Stu” Briese (1946-2019)	AMM	Langford
Grant Buchanan	AMM	The Pas
Anthony D. Burneski	MAUM	Brandon
Kari Byron (1892-1973)	UMM	Coldwell
Drew Caldwell	AMM	Brandon
Vernon A. Campbell	UMM	Grandview
Kenneth Donald Carels (1938-2005)	AMM	Melita
Glenn Carlson	AMM	Portage la Prairie
James Hubert Chipperfield (1917-2001)	MAUM	Minnedosa
Robert Christie Cochran (1868-1939)	UMM	Blanshard
Audrey Coulson	AMM	Blanshard
Percy Coutts	UMM	Harrison
T. A. Demasson	UMM	Morton
Edward Ingo Dow (1904-1992)	MAUM	Boissevain
Josaphat Doyon	UMM	Lorne
Max Dubas (c1908-1980)	UMM	St. Clements
Al Ducharme	MAUM	Winnipeg
Arthur K. Dyck	AMM	Altona
Jae Eadie	AMM	Winnipeg
O. S. Eiriksson	UMM	Lakeview
Magnus Eliason	MAUM	Winnipeg
Cecil G. Ferguson	UMM	Lansdowne
Felix Fitzpatrick	UMM	Riverside
Walter Froom	UMM	North Cypress
Arthur Galbraeth	UMM	Cameron
Homer Gill	MAUM	Neepawa
J. Howard Gilmour	MAUM	Pinawa
Frederick J. Gould	UMM	Woodworth
Joseph-Philippe Guay (1915-2001)	MAUM	St. Boniface
George William Harbottle (1939-2012)	AMM	Alexander
Peter Heide	AMM	Riverside
Harold Lloyd Henderson (1907-1993)	MAUM	Portage la Prairie
Margaret D. Hodgson	AMM	Birtle
Charles Edmund Ivens (1889-1946)	UMM	Wallace
Bjorn Thorlaksson Jonasson (1884-1966)	UMM	Siglunes
Stephen Juba (1914-1993)	MAUM	Winnipeg
Shirley Kalyniuk	AMM	Rossburn
Ben King	UMM	Woodlands
Melvin Klassen	AMM	Altona
Jim Knight	AMM	Portage la Prairie
John Krahn	AMM	Winkler
Peter J. Kroeker	MAUM	Winkler
Chaim Nachman Kushner (1905-1997)	MAUM	West Kildonan
Bert Lagimodiere	AMM	The Pas
Steve Lupky	AMM	Arborg
Stephen Adolph Magnacca (1902-1980)	MAUM	Brandon
Les Magnusson	AMM	Steinbach
Rene Maillard	AMM	Ste. Rose du Lac
Michael Maksymyk	AMM	Teulon
Joseph Alderic Marion (1864-1954)	UMM	St. Boniface
Thomas Marsden	UMM	Cornwallis
Helen Frances Marsh (1917-1995)	MAUM	Dauphin
Richard “Rick” Martel (1951-2016)	AMM	Altona
Mr. McBride	UMM	Portage la Prairie
William McCallum	UMM	Elton
G. I. McCullough	UMM	Swan River
Duncan D. McDonald (1868-1953)	UMM	Dauphin
Robert Melvin	UMM	Edward
Manson Moir	AMM	Albert
B. G. Morden	MAUM	Morden
Wayne Motheral	AMM	Louise
Andrew C. Newton	MAUM	Dauphin
Jack Nicol	AMM	Springfield
R. S. “Bud” Oliver	AMM	Selkirk
R. A. Paterson	UMM	Morton
John Paxton	MAUM	Gladstone
Edward “Ed” Peltz (1931-2016)	AMM	Woodlands
Robert George Perfect (1882-1950)	UMM	Louise
Charles Poole	UMM	Archie
John Potoski	UMM	Dauphin
Llewelyn Brychan “Chappie” Powell	UMM	Glenwood
James Rae	UMM	Russell
John Ramsden	UMM
S. L. Reidle	UMM	North Cypress
Art Rempel	AMM	Steinbach
Gordon Scott	MAUM	Winnipeg
Eugene Semard	UMM	Ellice
Harry Shearer	UMM	Grey
Randy Sigurdson	AMM	Arborg
Ray Sigurdson	AMM	Gimli
Jacob Single	UMM	Glenella
John Spalding (1886-1954)	UMM	Miniota
Robert Stefaniuk	AMM	Ritchot
Roy Stevenson	AMM	Rivers
David Stewart	UMM	Miniota
W. G. Sutcliffe	UMM	Albert
M. F. Szewczyk	UMM	Dauphin
Bert Thompson	UMM	Russell
Gordon Tingey	UMM	Edward
Harold Unger	MAUM	Steinbach
Martin Vertz	UMM	South Cypress
Larry Walker	AMM	Miniota
Richard Alan Wankling	MAUM	Fort Garry
Webb, A. O.	UMM	Birtle
Carl Weddow	UMM	Pipestone
William Whitmore	MAUM	Neepawa
Henry Wiebe	MAUM	Winkler
James Williamson	UMM	Strathcona
Sigurder Wopnford	UMM	Bifrost
Daniel Abraham Yanofsky (1925-2000)	MAUM	West Kildonan

Founders

The following people attended the 1905 Brandon convention that led to the formation of the Union of Manitoba Municipalities:

Photo source: Gordon Goldsborough

Name	Position	Municipality	No. in Photo
Henry Lamont Adolph (1862-1940)	Alderman	Brandon
John G. Barr (1864-?)	Councillor	Blanshard
Maurice Edmund Boughton (1853-1947)	Secretary-Treasurer	Lansdowne
William Alexander Bridgett (1867-1959)	Councillor	Virden
Christopher Campbell (1865-1931)	Alderman	Winnipeg
John Cardale (1860-?)	Councillor	Blanshard
Robert Christie Cochran (1868-1939)	Reeve	Blanshard	16
George Robson Coldwell (1858-1924)	Alderman	Brandon	3
Michael Collins (1844-1912)	Secretary-Treasurer	North Cypress
Pierce Couling (1877-1947)	Councillor	Oakland
George Albert Coulter (1865-1915)	Councillor	Cameron
Robert Dalgarno (1859-1933)	Reeve	Strathclair	31
Louis-Misael Bougret dit Dufort (1848-1914)	Reeve	St. Norbert
George Languer Eamer (1868-1945)	Councillor	Oakland	28
Thomas Henry Emes (1852-1941)	Councillor	St. Paul	22
John William Fleming (1868-1928)	Mayor	Brandon	34
John Edwin Gayton (1849-1923)	Secretary-Treasurer	Pembina
Carson Glenn (1860-?)	Councillor	Strathclair	26
John Fletcher Goldsborough (1863-1943)	Councillor	Macdonald	18
James Goring (1859-1941)	Councillor	Daly
Joseph Haig (1849-1942)	Reeve	Alexander
John Henderson Haverson (1854-1932)	Mayor	Carman
Charles Howard (1877-1955)	Councillor	Daly
Henry William Johnston (1857-1943)	Councillor	Elton
Richard Langtry (1866-1954)	Mayor	Virden
Allan Leslie (1858-1938)	Reeve	Cornwallis
W. G. Livingstone	Councillor	Rockwood
Victor Magar (1849-1930)	Councillor	St. Vital
John P. McDougall (1849-?)	Reeve	St. Francois-Xavier
James M. McNaughton (1866-?)	Reeve	St. Paul
Robert Harrison Metcalfe (1868-1933)	Councillor	St. Boniface
John Harvey Miller (1851-1922)	Councillor	Wallace
John Richard Morgan (1854-1925)	Councillor	North Cypress
Alexander Polson (1855-1912)	Reeve	Rockwood
Charles Poole (1858-1935)	Reeve	Archie
David Porteous (1855-1915)	Reeve	Woodlands
John Grant Rattray (1867-1944)	Reeve	Pipestone
Henry L. Ross (1865-?)	Councillor	St. Francois-Xavier
Henry “Harry” Sandison (1861-1942)	Alderman	Winnipeg
John R. Shepherd (1850-?)	Reeve	Cameron
Edward Soldan (1854-1927)	Reeve	Saskatchewan
Horace V. Stevenson (1868-?)	Secretary-Treasurer	Woodworth
Christopher Stinson (1864-1929)	Reeve	Wallace
William M. Taylor (1858-?)	Reeve	Miniota
Robert Burns Thompson (1861-1947)	Councillor	Whitehead
Thomas Bennett Tomes (1856-1913)	Reeve	Lansdowne
Joseph Turenne (1846-1920)	Mayor	St. Boniface
Malcolm Turriff (1849-1917)	Clerk	Saskatchewan
George Walter Ullyot (1850-1925)	Mayor	Manitou
William H. Wheatland (1867-?)	Councillor	Macdonald

See also:

MHS Resources: Manitoba’s Municipal History

Memorable Manitobans: Longest-Serving Municipal Reeves and Mayors

Sources:

Obituary [Richard Martel], Wiebe Funeral Home Altona Ltd.

We thank Louise Ayotte and Monica Ball of the Manitoba Legislative Library for their help in locating biographical information on the AMM Founders, and Lynne Bereza at the AMM for providing photographs of UMM, MAUM, and AMM officials. Ken C. Baldock and Cathy Eamer helped with the identification of people in the founders photo. We thank Nathan Kramer and Donna Belgin for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 27 August 2023