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Founders | Presidents / Chairs | General Managers / Executive Directors / Presidents | Sources
The Chamber, the first in Western Canada, was incorporated on 8 March 1873 as the Winnipeg Board of Trade. Its founders included many of Manitoba’s early entrepreneurs. Little was accomplished during its first few years and the Board was reorganized on 24 January 1879 with A. G. B. Bannatyne as President.
James Henry Ashdown (1844-1924)
John Balsillie (1839-1906)
Andrew Graham Ballenden Bannatyne (1829-1889)
Victor Beaupré
Curtis James Bird (1838-1876)
Alfred Boyd (c1836-1908)
Pascal Bréland (1811-1896)
Alexander MacDougall “A. M.” Brown (1820-1895)
James Clouston
Robert Cunningham (1836-1874)
William Drever (1821-1887)
R. J. Dunstan
William Flett
Frank Gingras
Edward Henry George Gunter Hay (1840-1918)
John Higgins (1807-1884)
Thomas Howard (1845-1903)
Colin Inkster (1843-1934)
John Inkster
George Kennedy
William Kennedy (1813-1890)
Joseph Octave Lemay (1829-1892)
Alexander Logan (1841-1894)
William H. Lyon (c1833-1897)
William J. Macaulay
Alexander McArthur (1843-1887)
Andrew McDermot (1789-1881)
John McGregor
James McKay (1828-1879)
John Henry McTavish (1837-1888)
Onis Monchamp
Robert Morgan
Alexander “Sandy” Murray (1839-1913)
Robert Patterson
Joseph Royal (1837-1902)
J. G. Sonderman
Robert Tait (1830-1912)
In 1998, the title of President changed to Chair.
Period
President / Chair
1879
Andrew Graham Ballenden Bannatyne (1829-1889)
1880
Arthur F. Eden (c1852-?)
1881
William H. Lyon (c1833-1897)
1882
Joseph Mulholland
1883
Charles John Brydges (1827-1889)
1884-1886
Kenneth McKenzie
1887
James Henry Ashdown (1844-1924)
1888
George Frederick Galt (1855-1928)
1889
James Redmond (1853-1926)
1890
Robert Jones Whitla (1846-1905)
1891
Stephen Nairn (1838-1900)
1892
James Elder Steen (1846-1909)
1893
Frederick William Stobart (1859-1935)
1894
William Bain Scarth (1837-1902)
1895
Robert Thomas Riley (1851-1944)
1896
F. H. Mathewson
1897
David Wesley Bole (1856-1933)
1898
Augustus Meredith Nanton (1860-1925)
1899
Edward Lancaster Drewry (1851-1940)
1900
Dawson Kerr Elliott (1853-1945)
1901
William Georgeson (1859-?)
1902
John Russell (c1850-1905)
1903
George Reading Crowe (1852-1924)
1904
Hodgson Wilberforce Hutchinson (1862-1949)
1905
A. L. Johnson
1906
Andrew Strang (1849-1913)
1907
George Frederick Carruthers (1846-1918)
1907-1908
John Thomas Blandell Persse (1861-1927)
1908-1909
Henry Martyn Belcher (1856-1923)
1909-1910
Edward Daniel Martin (1856-1938)
1910-1911
Frederick William Drewry (1855-1927)
1911-1912
Henry Bruce Gordon (1855-1931)
1912-1913
Ezra Arthur Mott (1869-1951)
1913-1914
John Stovel (1858-1923)
1914-1915
Melbourne Francis Christie (1864-1944)
1915-1916
George Nelson Jackson (1861-1944)
1916-1917
Albert Livingstone Crossin (1868-1956)
1917-1918
Alvin Keyes Godfrey (1871-1951)
1918-1919
John Edward Alfred Wildman (1865-1963)
1919-1920
William Henry Carter (1874-1962)
1920-1921
Edward Parnell (1859-1922)
1921-1925
William Andrew Travers Sweatman (1879-1941)
1925-1927
Robert G. Persse (1879-1946)
1927-1928
F. Hedley Marsh
1928-1931
Duncan Cameron (1865-1948)
1931-1932
John McEachern (1867-1942)
1932-1935
Wesley McCurdy (1881-1961)
1935-1936
Frederick John Charles Cox (1860-1939)
1936-1938
Charles Ernest Stockdill (1881-1960)
1938-1940
E. C. Mackay
1940-1941
George J. Cameron
1941-1943
George Henry Stewart (1874-1947)
1943-1944
John Duncan McDonald (c1879-1965)
1944-1947
Milton Daniel Grant (1874-1956)
1947-1949
Ralph Dennistoun Baker (1895-1960)
1949-1951
Allan Harvey Watson (1891-1978)
1951-1952
Richard Henry Gardyne Bonnycastle (1903-1968)
1952-1953
A. E. Longstaffe
1953-1954
G. S. Thorvaldson
1954-1955
John Kerr
1955
Ronald F. Swaine
1955-1956
Alexander Robertson (1909-1985)
1956-1957
Ronald F. Swaine
1957-1958
R. S. Malone
1958-1959
William Scott Neal (1914-1993)
1959-1960
John Stuart “Jack” McMahon (1904-2000)
1960-1961
George Edward Sharpe (1908-1985)
1961-1962
George Richard “Dick” Hunter (1917-1995)
1962-1963
R. G. Barton
1963-1964
Douglas Cole “Doug” Groff (1912-1993)
1964-1965
Alexander Edson Boyd (1912-1998)
1965-1966
Clare E. Atchison
1966-1967
William Stanley “Bill” Dunlop (1912-1991)
1967-1968
Allan Randolph McPherson (1914-2000)
1968-1969
Arthur A. Elliott
1969-1970
David Rothstein (1914-1997)
1970-1971
William Leslie “Les” Wardrop (1915-2017)
1971-1972
William Arthur Johnston (1914-1997)
1972-1973
Lawrence Oliver “Lawrie” Pollard (1928-2019)
1973-1974
Graeme Thomson Haig (1923-1993)
1974-1976
Mel Peaslee Michener (1930-2017)
1976-1977
Norman Louis Coghlan (1927-2013)
1977-1978
Hugh Delaney
1978-1979
Paul Alfred Herriot (1930-2011)
1979-1980
James “Jim” Cartlidge (1925-2016)
1980-1981
Gerald F. Reimer
1981-1982
Jack Raymond Hignell (1930-2015)
1982-1984
Lloyd McGinnis
1984-1985
Keith Godden
1985-1986
Edward John “Ed” Martens (1941-2015)
1986-1987
John Doole
1987-1988
1988-1989
E. Michael
1989
Mike Hill
1989-1990
Herb Middlestead (?-2010)
1990-1991
“Buddy” Brownstone
1991-1992
Steve Childerhouse
1992-1993
Sandy Hopkins
1993-1994
Terry Christall
1994-1995
John Granelli
1995-1996
Trevor Hayden
1996-1997
Dave Angus
1997-1998
Carol-Anne Borody
1998-1999
Joe Barnsley
1999-2000
Irene Merie
2000-2001
Murray Sigler
2001-2002
Walter Hill
2002-2003
Robert Kreis
2003-2004
Catherine Kloepfer
2004-2005
Philip Sheps
2005-2006
Larry McIntosh
2006-2007
Trevor Sprague
2007-2008
Ken Jones
2008-2009
Jeffrey Hartry
2009-2010
B. J. Reid
2010-2011
Judy Murphy
2011-2012
Brian Bowman
2012-2013
Brian Scharfstein
2013-2014
Jodi Moskal
2014-2015
Michael Legary
2015-2016
Priti Mehta-Shah
2016-2017
Wadood Ibrahim
2017-2018
Johanna Hurme
2018-2019
Scott Sissons
In 1998, the title of Executive Director changed to President.
Period
General Manager / Executive Director / President
1952-1975
Evan McCormick (1909-1993)
1975-1995
William W. “Bill” Draper (1933-2005)
1995-2000
Shelley Morris
2000-2016
Dave Angus
2016-present
Loren Remillard
“J. D. McDonald heads Winnipeg Trade Board,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 January 1943, page 11.
“City warned on rail rate equalization,” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 February 1953, page 1.
“Stevenson may address city C of C,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 October 1953, page 1.
“City seen great centre to blend nationalities,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 June 1954, page 12.
“Greetings on your 25th,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 April 1955, page 20.
“Robertson sees desire for Big Ex,” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 June 1956, page 3.
“Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Annual Report - the 1957 Council,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 May 1958, page 6.
“Mr. and Mrs. J. S. McMahon,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 October 1959, page 10.
“Award,” Winnipeg Free Press, 27 December 1962, page 15.
“Groff heads Winnipeg C of C,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 June 1963, page 15.
“Juba takes lead in ritual,” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 October 1964, page 3.
“Labour and management agree on single appeal,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 October 1965, page 54.
“Businessmen greet northern development,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 March 1966, page 17.
“Critics speak out on curb-cuts bylaw,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 January 1967, page 3.
“Local businessmen back Raminsky’s inflation fears,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 November 1967, page 11.
“Local C of C active in many spheres: Elliott,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 October 1968, page 35.
“Jottings from the business world,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 July 1969, page 9.
“Winnipeg C of C Executive Committee,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 June 1970, page 2.
“Scrap community committees, Huband tells hearing,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 July 1971, page 8.
“Business needs new input,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 May 1973, page 35.
“C of C names new head,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 May 1975, page 24.
“Manitoba business leaders back govt. in postal strike,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 October 1975, page 21.
“No time for analysis,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 August 1976, page 35.
“Ban on strikebreakers unfair: Paulley,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 August 1977, page 4.
“Remedy for downtown ills urged,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 November 1979, page 3.
“It’s your business at U of M,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 August 1980, page 25.
“30¢ letter okay ‘if service is’,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 December 1981, page 26.
“Pact with MGEA gets nod from business,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 February 1983, page 7.
“Bankruptcy figures decrease in 1983,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 December 1983, page 2.
“Volume of late mail ‘unbelievable,’ businessman claims,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 May 1984, page 3.
“Business, municipal leaders blast bilingualism plan,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 October 1985, page 8.
“Forget plan termed severe blow to seasonal workers,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 December 1986, page 18.
“Important issue,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 November 1988, page 8.
“Government-run manufacturing ventures out of favor,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 February 1989, page 44.
“Hotel trade in danger as more liquor bought in US,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 November 1989, page 4.
“One in four employers to cut staff,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 September 1991, page 4.
“Airport privatization a Chamber priority,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 September 1992, page 13.
“Young backs local Juno bid, prepared to perform in show,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 November 1993, page A1.
“Do paved road lead to riches?,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 December 1993, page A5.
“Chamber executive retiring,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 August 1994, page 12.
“A ‘new era’ for the chamber,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 October 1994, page 17.
“Local lingos worth mining,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 March 1996, page A1.
“On the night table,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 January 1997, page B5.
“Young people left out: Doer,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 November 1997, page A2.
“Global turmoil doesn’t cloud outlook,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 September 1998, page B9.
“Punch-dunk retails hail ‘Boxing week’,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 December 1999, page A3.
“New chamber president has futuristic vision for Winnipeg,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 September 2000, page B5.
“New award fosters Business-Education Partnerships,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 October 2001, page C12.
“Small business finally getting respect,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 September 2002, page B6.
“Biz booster has new man at helm,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 October 2002, page 16.
“New chamber chairwoman seeks unified business voice,” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 September 2003, page 29.
“Manitoba’s population on rise,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 September 2003, page A3.
“City’s growth,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 September 2004, page A2.
“City needs ‘plan,’ new chamber chairman says,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 October 2004, page 26.
“No vegging out for new chairman,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 October 2005, page 26.
“The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 October 2005, page B7.
“Junior Chamber milestone,” Winnipeg Free Press, 10 December 2006, page A9.
“Gary Doer: travel guide,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 October 2007, page A4.
“Doer opts for modest, reachable goals,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 December 2008, page A15.
“Chamber set for new sales pitch to the world,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 October 2009, page 24.
“Tories not laughing at Hydro humour,” Winnipeg Free Press, 11 December 2009, page A8.
“They may say Yes! to our city,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 October 2010, page 28.
“Chamber CEO loves city’s new attitude,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 October 2010 , page A6.
“Not with a bold, but a whimper,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 October 2011, page J11.
“Angus chairs committee,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 December 2012, page B7.
“Mayor keeps the sunny side up this year,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 March 2013, page A13.
“No longer an old boys’ club: new chamber head,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 October 2013, page 16.
“New chamber chief signals new guard,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 October 2014, page 34.
“‘Inclusive’ chamber of commerce welcomes new chairwoman,” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 October 2015, page 16.
“New chairman loves his city,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 October 2016, page 13.
“Chamber’s transition seamless,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 October 2016, page 26.
We thank Dorothy Dobbie, Irene Merie, and Tim Wildman for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 18 March 2025
