Historic Sites of Manitoba: Great-West Life Assurance Company Building and War Memorial (60 Osborne Street, Winnipeg)

This building on Osborne Street in Winnipeg, designed by Toronto architects Marani and Morris and the Winnipeg firm of Moody Moore and Partners, was built between 1958 and 1959 by contractor Gerard Alphonsus “Gerry” Baert at the former site of the Winnipeg Amphitheatre and Osborne Stadium.

Plaques in the lobby of the building list employees who were killed during service in the First World War and Second World War. They were unveiled originally at ceremonies held on 11 November 1921 and 11 November 1948, respectively.

Great-West Life Assurance Building

Great-West Life Assurance Building (December 2012)
Source: George Penner

Great-West Life War Memorial

Great-West Life War Memorial (November 2018)
Source: Gary Craven

Great-West Life War Memorial

Great-West Life War Memorial (November 2018)
Source: Gary Craven

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.88387, W97.14955
denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War

Name

Occupation

Service

Rank

Birth Date

Death Date

Geoffrey Lloyd Adams

Land & Timber Valuator

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry

Private

9 August 1881

8 May 1915

George Herbert Armshaw
[Maryland Methodist, Next of Kin]

Clerk

78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

20 March 1897

9 April 1917

John Henry McLeod

Collector

100th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

24 April 1890

14 March 1917

Ella Marie Nichols

Nurse

Volunteer Aid Division

Volunteer Nurse

20 March 1896

13 November 1918

Robert Edwin Dawe Pollard MM

Insurance Clerk

8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Sergeant Major

8 April 1894

23 December 1918

Albert Edward Sheppard

Insurance Clerk

52nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry

Private

4 June 1894

23 May 1918

Second World War

Name

Service

Rank

Birth Date

Death Date

Huntley Donald Brander

7 (RAF) Squadron

Pilot Officer

4 July 1915

30 June 1941

Thomas Leonard Brandson

HMSC Athabaskan, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve

Paymaster Lieutenant

28 June 1915

29 April 1944

Richard Charles Holmes

HMCS Prevost, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve

Lieutenant

16 December 1912

5 September 1945

John Campbell Lawrence

HMCS Shawinigan, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve

Lieutenant

23 November 1916

24 November 1944

James Frankish Maguire

37 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force

Flight Lieutenant

6 May 1915

14 September 1942

William Vaughan Mitchell

Winnipeg Grenadiers, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps

Lieutenant

19 May 1905

20 December 1941

Robert Riley Perry

407 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force

Flight Lieutenant

31 December 1912

24 March 1944

John Samuel Ritchie

78 (RAF) Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force

Flying Officer

12 June 1917

13 June 1944

Arthur Evans Snell

42 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force

Flying Officer

22 April 1911

16 October 1941

Errol Hilliard Treleaven

416 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force

Flight Lieutenant

1 June 1916

25 September 1944

William Ross Willard

Royal Canadian Air Force

Sergeant

5 August 1917

2 July 1943

George Dealtry Woodcock

Veterans Guard of Canada

Lieutenant

28 November 1886

11 February 1945

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Amphitheatre (49 Whitehall Avenue, Winnipeg)

Manitoba Business: Moody and Moore / MMP Architects

Memorable Manitobans: Gerard Alphonsus “Gerry” Baert (1906-1971)

MHS Centennial Business: Great-West Life Assurance Company

Sources:

“Unveil a tablet,” Manitoba Free Press, 12 November 1921, page 19.

“Great-West Life plaque unveiled,” Winnipeg Free Press, 11 November 1948, page 36.

For the names of First World War casualities from Manitoba who do not appear on any physical monument in the province, see the Manitoba Historical Society War Memorial. If you know of a name that is omitted from this list, please contact the MHS War Memorial Researcher Darryl Toews (darryl@mhs.mb.ca).

Soldiers of the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Canada.

Financial support for research reported on this page was provided by the Manitoba Heritage Grants Program (2015-2016).

Great-West Life Building, 60 Osborne Street by Murray Peterson, Peterson Projects, February 2008.

We thank Gary Craven for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Darryl Toews and George Penner.

Page revised: 13 July 2023

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