Historic Sites of Manitoba: McGregor Armoury / Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan VC MC Armoury / Fort Garry Horse Museum and Archives (551 Machray Avenue, Winnipeg)

The brick and stone McGregor Armoury, at the southeast corner of the intersection of Machray Avenue and McGregor Street in Winnipeg, was designed by Winnipeg architect Herbert Edward Matthews. The building, measuring 200 feet by 90 feet, was constructed between 1913 and 1915 by the Brown Construction Company at a cost of about $140,000.

Martin Park, a small green space on the north side of the Armoury building, is named in honour of Lieutenant-Colonel G. J. Martin who was killed on a training accident on Mount Worthington on 9 June 1969. The park was dedicated on 27 November 1970 (Cambrai Day) by Major General B. F. MacDonald and rededicated by Lieutenant General J. A. Fox on 18 October 2003. The Fort Garry Horse Museum and Archives was established in the Armoury in 1978. A Sherman tank plaque was unveiled on 17 October 1987 for the regiment’s 75th anniversary.

A memorial wall inside the armoury was dedicated on 12 November 1995 for Manitoba (and elsewhere) members of the Fort Garry Horse who died on active service with the regiment in the First World War and Second World War.

On 20 November 2018, the armoury was officially renamed Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan VC MC Armoury, the 101st anniversary of the first Battle of Cambrai where Harcus “Henry” Strachan won the Victoria Cross.

McGregor Armoury (November 2014) Source: Nathan Kramer Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan VC MC Armoury (December 2018) Source: George Penner Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan VC MC Armoury (May 2023) Source: Glen Toews Aerial view of the Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan VC MC Armoury (August 2023) Source: George Penner Interior of Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan VC MC Armoury (May 2023) Source: Glen Toews Interior of Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan VC MC Armoury (May 2023) Source: Glen Toews Martin Park commemorative plaque (2010) Source: City of Winnipeg Sherman tank at the McGregor Armoury (November 2014) Source: Nathan Kramer Grounds at the McGregor Armoury (May 2023) Source: Glen Toews Light Armoured Vehicle used in the Afghan War at the McGregor Armoury (October 2024) Source: George Penner Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.92784, W97.14032 denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War Casualties from Manitoba

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Samuel Franklin Attridge Beresford [Brandon Armoury, Brandon College]	Farmer	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	4 July 1888	1 April 1918
Arthur Rice Birch [Merchants Bank of Canada]	Bank Clerk	6th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	13 July 1889	1 January 1915
Michael Blasesky (Black) [Morris]	Driver	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	12 July 1896	10 August 1918
George Washington Burnett [Central Congregational Church, Holy Trinity Church, Next of Kin]	Accountant	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	21 May 1894	24 September 1918
Joseph Napoleon Chartrand	Farmer	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	23 September 1891	27 October 1919
Edward Chell	Salesman	The Fort Garry Horse	Corporal	12 January 1892	1 April 1918
George Wellington Code [Portage la Prairie]	Farmer	226th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	6 May 1895	10 May 1919
Stanley Dewar [Selkirk]	Carpenter	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	28 June 1891	30 May 1917
William John Dunn	Construction Work	The Fort Garry Horse	Trooper	23 May 1890	4 November 1918
Norris Farrar [Brookdale, Carberry]	Farmer	The Fort Garry Horse	Trooper	16 May 1892	20 November 1917
John Scott Garrioch [Portage la Prairie]	Labourer	226th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	6 November 1894	26 February 1916
Francis Kempthorne Giles [Treesbank, Wawanesa Hospital]	Farm Labourer	226th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	17 May 1897	12 December 1916
Norman Davidson Gordon [Boissevain, Union Bank]	Bank Manager - Union Bank of Canada	The Fort Garry Horse	Corporal	19 July 1885	8 July 1917
Robert Stewart Gordon [Next of Kin, Winnipeg Electric Railway]	Labourer	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	23 April 1888	14 February 1918
Samuel James Graham [Neepawa]	Farmer	226th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	16 December 1894	2 June 1917
George Gregor	Mechanic	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	10 July 1886	9 October 1918
Reginald Edward Harris [Next of Kin]	Carpenter	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	29 July 1892	9 October 1918
Thomas Lewis Hatcher [Next of Kin]	Salesman	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	26 August 1886	2 April 1918
Thomas Alva Edison Jarvis [Next of Kin]	Clerk	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	27 July 1897	9 October 1918
William Ernest Clifford Law [Next of Kin]	Store Clerk	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	8 August 1897	6 November 1918
Arthur Lloyd	Car Cleaner	Canadian Cavalry Brigade	Corporal	16 March 1889	23 October 1922
Walter Loynes [Minnedosa]	Cook	226th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	8 May 1888	30 December 1916
James Lucas	Coachman	Fort Garry Horse	Corporal	1 February 1893	9 April 1918
Roy McIvor [Selkirk]	Farmer	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	1 October 1898	9 October 1918
Norman Morrison [Next of Kin]	Motor Driver	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	22 August 1890	2 April 1918
Albert Nelson [Next of Kin, Winnipeg Electric Railway]	Timekeeper	The Fort Garry Horse	Trooper	4 November 1895	20 February 1919
Arthur Thomas Newby [Next of Kin]	Accountant	The Fort Garry Horse	Lieutenant	15 March 1894	10 August 1918
Victor H. W. Paice	Clerk	Canadian Cavalry Brigade	Corporal	20 October 1894	23 October 1924
John Herbert Parks [Eatons]	Teamster	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	28 April 1894	9 May 1919
Robert Peterbough	Engineer	Fort Garry Horse	Trooper	11 May 1895	10 August 1918
Harold John Peters [United Grain Growers]	Clerk	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	23 December 1895	20 November 1917
John Porterfield [Next of Kin, St. Paul's Presbyterian Church (Winnipeg), Winnipeg Electric Railway]	Farmer & Motorman	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	7 December 1883	11 October 1918
Mark Pringle [Next of Kin, St. Matthew's Anglican]	Teamster	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	2 January 1889	4 April 1918
John Reid [Next of Kin]	Butcher	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	24 September 1890	3 November 1918
James Sinclair Rennie [Next of Kin]	Clerk	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	29 August 1894	23 March 1918
Frederick Rolfe [Neepawa]	Printer	The Fort Garry Horse	Lance Sergeant	14 June 1890	23 March 1918
Arnold Richmond Ross [Neepawa]	Farmer	226th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	15 October 1898	4 October 1916
John Frederick Rudolph [Beausejour]	Glass Blower	6th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lance Corporal	18 August 1892	8 November 1915
George Irving Joseph Shaw [Gilbert Plains]	Farmer	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	1 August 1898	2 April 1918
Stanley Westcott Sims	Farmer	226th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	29 September 1893	12 July 1916
Percy Douglas Smith	Jeweller	226th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	12 April 1895	5 August 1916
Nelson Snyder [Killarney]	Steam Engineer	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	20 October 1888	30 March 1918
George Albert Still [Miniota]	Farmer	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	9 December 1896	28 March 1919
Fred Stonehouse [First Baptist Church (Winnipeg), Next of Kin]	Driver	The Fort Garry Horse	Trooper	16 February 1894	15 August 1918
Herbert Lancashire Swift	Porter	226th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	18 February 1876	13 March 1916
William Willis (Wells)	Locomotive Engineer	Fort Garry Horse	Sergeant	29 May 1883	1 April 1918
Clarence Delbert Wright [Boissevain]	Farmer	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	27 January 1895	10 August 1918
Frederick George Yarlett [Brandon Armoury, Salvation Army (Brandon)]	Messenger	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	13 June 1898	2 April 1918

Second World War Casualties from Manitoba

Name	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Alasdair MacDonald Allnut [Manitoba Virtual Memorial]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lieutenant	8 June 1916	8 June 1944
William McGregor Birnie	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	1 April 1915	8 August 1944
Louis Joseph Bouchard	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Corporal	2 September 1917	15 August 1944
George Joseph Brissette	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	5 March 1922	6 June 1944
Raymond Arthur Brooks [Emerson]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	3 September 1920	9 August 1942
John Clifford Brown	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	6 March 1905	8 August 1944
Fred Butterworth [St. John's Technical High School]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	25 April 1922	13 April 1945
Donald James Collins	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	10 March 1922	8 August 1944
Victor George Henry Conway	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lance Corporal	14 May 1915	6 June 1944
David Charles Cramer [Hebrew Sick Benefit Society, Shaarey Zedek]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	26 August 1919	6 July 1944
Newton Ross Davis	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	9 November 1919	17 April 1944
Douglas Elmes [Gimli]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	17 October 1921	8 August 1944
Edward Edwin Evans [McCreary]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	26 January 1918	9 June 1944
Gordon (Pat) Farquharson	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	20 October 1914	14 August 1944
Robert William Finch	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Sergeant	26 February 1912	13 April 1945
Charles Wesley Fletcher [McCreary]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Major	13 August 1911	23 October 1944
John “Brandy” Thomas Gibbs	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Corporal	6 April 1905	26 March 1943
Harold James Gold	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Corporal	1 April 1916	14 August 1944
Harry Haider [Powerview-Pine Falls]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lance Corporal	31 March 1910	11 June 1944
George Halasz	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	28 April 1905	22 April 1945
Adam Michael Hamalock [Virden]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	16 August 1918	15 August 1944
Clifford Hayden	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	29 December 1922	9 June 1944
Charles Thomas Haywood [St. James School]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lance Sergeant	19 June 1921	4 July 1944
Stephen Holdstock	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	20 June 1913	6 June 1944
Robert Francis Rogers Holmes [West St. Paul]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	24 July 1920	11 June 1944
Harry Leith Howe	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lance Corporal	9 November 1921	1 October 1944
Douglas Haig Issett	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Squadron Sergeant Major (Warrant Officer Class II)	25 September 1916	30 April 1945
Robert Henry Keehn [Emerson]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	30 September 1919	29 May 1945
Edward Ket	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	29 February 1924	29 September 1944
Harry Albert Legg	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	15 May 1921	12 April 1942
James Frederick Legg	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Corporal	16 November 1921	14 August 1944
Michael Marchisky [McCreary]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	16 May 1917	9 June 1944
William Martin	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Squadron Sergeant Major (Warrant Officer Class II)	13 August 1905	6 January 1945
Harold Emelaw McGill	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lance Corporal	11 April 1910	24 July 1944
William James McLean	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Sergeant	10 December 1919	6 July 1944
Mervyn Lloyd Murphy	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Sergeant	31 December 1916	6 June 1944
Alexander Nodrick	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Corporal	3 August 1918	9 October 1944
Percy Parkes [St. Chrysostom's Church (Winnipeg)]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Sergeant	10 September 1912	6 June 1944
Harry Jarvis Peacey [Minnedosa, St. Andrew's United]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Captain	?	25 July 1944
Robert Murray Pennie [Lansdowne, Neepawa]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	1 October 1924	1 September 1944
Alvin Reeves	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	11 April 1919	6 June 1944
Arthur Edwin Rogers	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lieutenant	3 May 1917	6 July 1944
Melville Ernest Russell [Griswold, Hamiota]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lance Corporal	23 August 1920	19 February 1945
Leonard Ruthig	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	28 January 1921	10 June 1944
William Edward Shineton [McCreary]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Corporal	23 July 1920	4 July 1944
Robert John Stevenson [Neepawa]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lance Corporal	31 July 1918	6 June 1944
Arthur Percival Thompson [Souris]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lieutenant	2 July 1918	28 September 1944
Edward Thomsen	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	29 January 1917	8 August 1944
Rurick William Thorsteinson [Daniel McIntyre Collegiate]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Lance Corporal	13 September 1922	8 August 1944
Charles Edward Welbanks [St. John's Technical High School]	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Sergeant	27 December 1919	10 June 1944
John Frederick Jack Wheeler	10th Armoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	28 September 1922	25 July 1944

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Herbert Edward Matthews (1868-1941)

Manitoba Business: Brown Construction Company

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Fort Garry Horse Monument (Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Holy Trinity Anglican Church (256 Smith Street, Winnipeg)

Memorable Manitobans: Harcus “Henry” Strachan (1887-1982)

The Fort Garry Horse Regimental Home Page

Sources:

“New Winnipeg armoury about ready for soldiers,” Winnipeg Tribune, 25 August 1915, page 1.

“Huge wall honors unit’s fallen soldiers,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 November 1995, page A4.

Information for this page was provided by The City of Winnipeg’s Planning, Property and Development Department, which acknowledges the contribution of the Government of Manitoba through its Heritage Grants Program.

We thank Nathan Kramer, Glen Toews, and George Penner for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Darryl Toews.

Page revised: 8 February 2026

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