Memorable Manitobans: Hubert A. Garnier (1903-1987)

Hubert Garnier with his sculpture of Louise Riel Click to enlarge

Sculptor.

A youthful Hubert Garnier Click to enlarge

Born at Chasseneuil, France in 1903, son of composer and violinist Emile Garnier (?-?) and Marie Theresa Garnier (1880-1981), he came to St. Boniface with his family in 1913 and attended Provencher School.

He studied art at the Winnipeg School of Art, Civic Art Institute in Chicago, and the University of British Columbia. Before returning to Winnipeg, he apprenticed in 1923 and 1924 with artists in Paris, New York, and Chicago, including Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor who directed the carving of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. In 1932-1934, he studied anatomy at Vancouver under artist Charles Marega during a night course given to medical students at the University of British Columbia.

Garnier worked in a variety of media, including stone, metal, and brick. One of his specialities was crests and other official emblems. An exposition of his architectural sculptures was presented in 1976 at the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre. His work is displayed around Canada.

In 1942, he married singer Rolande Rozière and they had a daughter.

He died at his Winnipeg home, 127 Bank Avenue, on 27 February 1987.

Some of his sculptural works in Manitoba included:

Sculpture	Location	Year	Status
Bank of Montreal Building (carvings)	426 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg	1927
Tier Building (University crest for façade)	173 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg	1931
Winnipeg Auditorium (medallions and volutes)	200 Vaughan Street, Winnipeg	1932
Belgian Veterans Association Historical War Memorial	407 Provencher Boulevard, Winnipeg	1938
Sts. Vladimir and Olga Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral (relief of saints and exterior volutes)	115 McGregor Street, Winnipeg	1946-1947
Shaarey Zedek Synagogue (tabernacle doors)	561 Wellington Crescent, Winnipeg	1950
Altar	Richer, RM of Ste. Anne	?
Bank of Toronto Building (ten entrance reliefs)	215 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg	1951	Demolished (1990)
Ukrainian Settlers Plaque	450 Broadway, Winnipeg	1951
St. James Collegiate (two entrance panels)	1900 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg	1951-1952
Berens River Accident Plaque	450 Broadway, Winnipeg	1952
Provencher Monument	Avenue de la Cathedrale, Winnipeg	1953
Rosh Pine Synagogue (tree relief)	123 Matheson Avenue East, Winnipeg	1954
Winnipeg City Hall (city crest)	510 Main Street, Winnipeg	1964

Sources:

Obituary [Marie Therese Garnier], Winnipeg Free Press, 27 July 1981, page 32.

“Well-known city sculptor Hubert Garnier dies at 83,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 March 1987, page 36.

Belgian War Memorial, City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, January 1995.

Obituary [Marie Jeanne Dacquay], Winnipeg Free Press, 11 December 2002, page 41.

We thank Jennifer Doyle and Norman Gould for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 8 June 2023

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!