Historic Sites of Manitoba: John Black Memorial Presbyterian Church / John Black Memorial United Church (898 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg)

In April 1914, a public meeting was held to organize a Presbyterian congregation in the district. A few months later, the congregation chose the name John Black Memorial Church in honour of John Black, one of first Presbyterian ministers of the west. By October 1914, the original church structure was constructed on land donated by Mr. R. A. Ross. In 1925, John Black Memorial Church joined the United Church of Canada. In August 1926, a devastating fire struck the church and the building was destroyed. Services were held in Lord Wolseley School and the Scottish Hall until a new building was erected.

In 1927, a new church designed by Winnipeg architect Edgar Prain was constructed at the northwest corner of Henderson Highway and Robert Avenue. This church was used until 1957 when a new church was built next to the church one built in 1927.

The third church was designed by the architectural firm of Smith Carter and Katelnikoff and built in 1957 by North American Buildings Limited for a cost of about $150,000. When the new church was completed, the 1927 church was converted to a Christian Education Centre. A plaque inside the church commemorates parishioners who were killed during the First World War.

Among the clerics who served at John Black Memorial was Hugh John Robertson (1918-?).

The former John Black Memorial United Church (May 2022) Source: Jordan Makichuk Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.93282, W97.10031 denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War Casualties

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
William Douglas	Messenger	Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion	Private	1 September 1892	24 November 1918
Herbert Fletcher	?	?	?	?	?
Charles Franklin Galbraith DFC [Law Society, Portage]	Student at law	5th Squadron, Royal Air Force	Corporal	14 May 1893	16 September 1918
William Hugh Gilchrist  [Vimy Ridge]	Electrician	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	9 December 1893	3 June 1917
Alexander Cooper Jackson [Next of Kin]	Call Boy	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	2 April 1898	8 August 1918
Victor Edwin Jackson [Engineering]	Student	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	27 April 1893	14 July 1919
Alexander Muirhead	Shipper	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	27 September 1888	11 June 1916
Donald Alexander McIvor [108 Battalion, Landmark Lodge]	Student at Law	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	10 March 1894	2 September 1917
Roderick Arthur Ross [Manitoba College, Next of Kin, St. Lukes Anglican]	Financial Agent	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	12 February 1887	2 October 1916
Arthur Everett Tingley	Student	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	26 June 1896	28 April 1917
Charles Roderick Hugh Vivian	Farmer	Lord Strathcona's Horse	Private	18 June 1892	3 April 1918
Edward Williams	Clerk	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	13 October 1897	14 November 1917

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: John Black (1818-1882)

Memorable Manitobans: Edgar Prain (1881-1958)

Manitoba Business: Smith Carter and Katelnikoff / Smith Carter Architects and Engineers / Architecture49

Manitoba Business: North American Lumber and Supply Company / Citizens Lumber Company / North American Buildings Limited / North American Lumber

Sources:

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

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).

John Black Memorial United Church, Winnipeg Architecture Foundation.

John Black Memorial United Church, Manitoba Archival Information Network.

We thank Ross Wedlake for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk, Darryl Toews, and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 25 December 2022

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