Source: McCord Museum
May 18, 1889 - A. G. B. Bannatyne, (also see), died en route to Winnipeg from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Reporting on his death, the Manitoba Free Press wrote: "Mr. Bannatyne was one of the landmarks of the old Red River Settlement and his name will ever remain interwoven with Manitoba."
In the formative years of Winnipeg there was very little that Bannatyne wasn’t involved in. He was the first postmaster of Fort Garry, first president of Winnipeg Board of Trade, the first police magistrate for Winnipeg, the long-time MP for Provencher and was also involved in the establishment of the Winnipeg General Hospital and served as president of its board of trustees.
December 9, 1905, Winnipeg Free Press
Bannatyne's business interests and landholdings made him a wealthy man, but that did not last. A Winnipeg Tribune article of June 25, 1910 says that he wasn’t “wise with the ways of the world” and the flood unscrupulous land speculators and businessman that came to the city in its early years took advantage of that: "...because of his faith in humanity, his kindly desire to help things along and his inability to resist the unscrupulous forces with which he was suddenly called upon to intend, he became financially overwhelmed and his magnificent prospects disappeared.…”
Bannatyne lost most of his wealth in bad business deals that tanked in a recession and land bust and spent the last years of his life living mostly in seclusion.
May 18, 1919 - Mayor Gray issued a zero tolerance proclamation for civic unrest during the Winnipeg General Strike: "Let me make this absolutely clear. If the food supplies and the protection of life and property are not maintained I shall take whatever action may be necessary to secure them and maintain the authority of the government as it is established by the voice of the people".
May 18, 1974 - Singer / songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk was born in Winnipeg.
© 2012, 2020 Christian Cassidy
No comments:
Post a Comment