Memorable Manitobans: John Alexander Girvin (1851-1931)

Building contractor.

Born at Goderich, Ontario on 18 October 1851, he came to Winnipeg in 1877. His first winter was spent constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway from eastern Canada to Winnipeg, under Joseph Whitehead. The following year he took work with the lumber firm of Brown and Rutherford, staying there until he formed a construction business for himself. His firm built many of the city’s important buildings, including the Central United Church. He served for many years as President of the Builders’ Exchange, and was a member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. On 24 March 1875, he married Jennie Emily Arthur (1849-1936) of Goderich, Ontario and they had five children: David Arthur Girvin (1882-?), Frederick H. Girvin (1885-?), Hattie Pearson Girvin (1888-?, wife of William Ernest Leonard), May Godfrey Girvin (1888-?, wife of Ernest Manuel Payne), and Ada Glenn Girvin (?-?, wife of William John Bartram). He was a Mason (Scottish Rite). He died at his Winnipeg home, 356 Carlton Street, on 6 May 1931 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.

Some of the Manitoba buildings that his firm constructed:

Building	Location	Year	Status
First Congregational Church	374 Hargrave Street, Winnipeg	1882	Demolished (1936)
Paulin-Chambers Building (with P. Burnett)	311 Ross Avenue, Winnipeg	1899
YMCA Building (with P. Burnett)	276 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg	1900
Bank of Hamilton Building (with P. Burnett)	395 Main Street, Winnipeg	1901	Demolished (?)
Cockshutt Plow Building (with Robert Watson)	238 Princess Street, Winnipeg	1902
Miller-Morse Building (with P. Burnett)	317 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg	1904
Paulin-Chambers Building (expansion; with P. Burnett)	311 Ross Avenue, Winnipeg	1904
Tees & Persse Warehouse	Princess Street, Winnipeg	1904	Demolished (?)
Leadlay Building (with W. J. Hodgins)	306-310 Ross Avenue, Winnipeg	1905
Fairchild Building	110 Princess Street, Winnipeg	1907
Allen House	6 Roslyn Road, Winnipeg	1907
Galt Warehouse	334 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg	1909
Enderton Building	334 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg	1909-1910	Demolished (1969)
Paulin-Chambers Building (expansion; with P. Burnett)	311 Ross Avenue, Winnipeg	1910
Congdon Marsh Building	86-88 Princess Street, Winnipeg	1920

Sources:

Marriage registration, Ancestry.

Birth, marriage, and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Obituary, Manitoba Free Press, 7 May 1931.

“John Girvin, pioneer contractor, expires,” Manitoba Free Press, 7 May 1931.

Obituary [Jennie E. Girvin], Winnipeg Tribune, 13 October 1936, page 22.

Paulin-Chambers Building, 311 Ross Avenue, Winnipeg Historical Buildings & Resources Committee, July 2018.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 16 May 2023

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