Memorable Manitobans: Thomas Sinclair (1877-1913)

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Thomas Sinclair
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Architect.

Born at Edinburgh, Scotland on 20 January 1877, he was educated there and at the University of Edinburgh. He served an architectural apprenticeship in Scotland before moving to Brandon. There he designed the largest indoor arena in Canada at the time, along with buildings elsewhere in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

On 21 March 1908, he married Mary Clarke (1882-?), daughter of John and Isabelle Clarke of Ednam Kelso, Scotland. They had no children. He died at Brandon on 19 December 1913 and was buried in the Brandon Cemetery.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building

Location

Year

Status

Alexandra School

College Avenue, Brandon

1906

Demolished (?)

Harding School No. 1352

Harding, RM of Woodworth

1906

Demolished (?)

Brandon Armoury

1116 Victoria Avenue, Brandon

1907

 

St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church

401 First Street, Brandon

1907

 

St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church

Elva, RM of Arthur

1909

Demolished (?)

Kenton Municipal Hall

Kenton, RM of Woodworth

1909

 

Aikenside Methodist Church

Justice, RM of Elton

1909

 

Dauphin School No. 2 (addition)

Dauphin

1909

Demolished (?)

St. Michael’s Academy (supervision)

Victoria Avenue East, Brandon

1909-1910

Demolished (?)

A. E. McKenzie Building

30 Ninth Street, Brandon

1910

 

King George School

430 Victoria Avenue East, Brandon

1911

Demolished (?)

Souris School No. 285

Souris, Municipality of Souris-Glenwood

1911-1912

 

Park View Apartments

1330 Princess Avenue, Brandon

1912

 

Brandon Winter Fair Building

Eleventh Street, Brandon

1912-1913

Demolished (1970)

Gordon-Mackay Warehouse

638 Pacific Avenue, Brandon

1913

 

Sources:

1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

The Story of Manitoba by F. H. Schofield, Winnipeg: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913.

Death registration [Thomas Sinclair], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“St. Michael’s day celebrated,” Brandon Sun, 7 October 1909, page 19.

“Brandon firm given contract,” Brandon Sun, 1 June 1911, page 2.

“Bright young Brandon architect dead,” Manitoba Free Press, 20 December 1913, page 13.

“Shepley Construction Company erect handsome building at Brandon,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 February 1914, page 11.

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950 by Robert G. Hill, Toronto.

We thank Keith Davies Jones and Robert Hill for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 9 September 2023

Memorable Manitobans

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.

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