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A Proud Heritage A Proud Heritage A History of The St. Andrew's Society of Winnipeg 1871 .. 1982 Thomas Saunders 1982 Peguis Publishers Limited Winnipeg, Manitoba ©1982 by The St. Andrew's Society of Winnipeg all rights reserved ISBN 0-919566-90-1 The St. Andrew's Society of Winnipeg gratefully acknowledges a grant for research from the Secretary of State. printed and bound by Public Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba Secretary-Treasurer: Leslie G. Archibald Tel: 783-8170 ~t.l\n:breW\1 ~n(ietl1 of Illinnipeg P.O. Box 596, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 2J3 February, 1990. Dear Sirs: The St. Andrew's Society of Winnipeg has been an active organization since its foundina in 1871. Its objectives are the preservation and encour­ agement of the Scottish culture and heritage in Manitoba. In addition, it aims to pro;ect to the oublic the significant contribution which the Scots have made to the establishment and development of our Province, and particularly from the time of the landing of the first Selkirk Settlers in 1812 and the commencement of aaricultural activity here. In 1982, the Society undertook the preparation and publishina of a history of the Society from the time of its founding in 1871. The Rev. Dr. Thomas Saunders, a senior member of the Society, and a recognized writer in western Canada, authored the history called "THE PROUD HERITAGE". The book has been widely distributed within the Society and the Scottish community. At a recent meetinq, it was felt it would be advisable to provide a complementary coPy of the history - THE PROUD HERITAGE - to all public libraries throuahout the Province. Accordingly, we are pleased to enclose a copy of our history for public use in your library. If additional information regarding ~HE PROUD HERITA~E or the Society would be heloful to vou, please do not hesitate to contact the writer or the Secretary Treasurer of the Society at the address or telephone number above. yo~e~ Dr. Peter Connel~ ,. President. Preface The idea of "A History of The St. Andrew's Society of Winnipeg" had been talked about for years. Meantime, history was being overtaken by events, and detail was escaping; apart from existing minutes of meetings and reports to the Board of Managers, it was feared that invaluable personal anecdotes and tales would be lost forever unless a serious attempt was made to capture them. In 1979, during the presidency of John Webster, thought gave way to action. Past President R. M. (Rory) MacLennan volunteered to chair a committee charged with the responsibility of producing a high-quality book recording the history of the Society from its inception in 1871. Mr. MacLennan selected his committee from Society members and strengthened it by including some notable local historians, and it is right that these names be recorded: from the Society, J. A. Bracken, R. N. Bruce, R. A. Fraser, P. Kelly, W. K. Logan, W. S. A. Martin, A. F. McDiarmid, J. H. Webster, and myself; from the academic community, Dr. Ross McCormack and Eric Wells. From the outset, it was clear that the task would be a large one, and that much of the basic research would require professional work. The Department of the Secretary of State recognized the significance of the project and, with government assistance, a senior student at the Uni­ versity of Winnipeg was engaged to conduct research. The results of Tim Demetrioff's painstaking work were turned over to a pioneer member of the Society - Past President, Honorary Life Member and serving Hon­ orary President, Rev. Dr. Thomas Saunders, and Tom it is who authored the book now in your hands. v Having the result before us now, our only regret is that we did not do this twenty or thirty years ago. The St. Andrew's Society of Winnipeg has always been a vital organization, and many of its members played important parts in the development of Winnipeg and Manitoba. The early days of the Society must have been marked with a lively and spirited exchange of strongly-held opinions leading to practical compromise, a practice which continues to be a feature of present-day Board meetings. Alas, minutes are kept to record decisions; personal memories are short, and much of the colorful record of our early days is gone forever. Tom Saunders has breathed life into the embers, and his warmth and humanity shine through all the pages of the book. The Society has a proud heritage, and owes a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. MacLennan, to Dr. Tom Saunders, and to all the others who gave so generously of their time and professional expertise in finally "getting it all down on paper." J. McManus President 1981-82 vi Foreword The writing of this book has been a labor of love. It must be admitted, however, that when the History Committee of the St. Andrew's Society approached me with the challenge to write it, I was hesitant. I realized how much work would be required, how much research entailed, and I viewed the prospect with some alarm. But Mr. MacLennan assured me that I would have a lot of help: much of the research on the early history of the Society had been done by Tim Demetrioff, and I would fall heir to this; and Eric Wells of the Media Department of the University of Winnipeg and his assistant, Thora Cooke, had agreed to look after the assembling and arranging of the illustrations. Other members of the committee, and of the Society, would give me assistance in other areas. With this assurance, I undertook the task; and all fell into place as Mr. MacLennan had promised. My deepest debt of gratitude goes, of course, to Tim Demetrioff. I have made full use of his research, and at times have used his actual wording. I am almost equally indebted to my former colleague and namesake with the Winnipeg Free Press, Robert Saunders. Mr. Saunders searched the files of his newspaper for anything that could be of assistance to me, and came up with pertinent material on many aspects of the Society's history. W. K. Logan joined Eric Wells and Thora Cooke in the search for illustrations, and also provided me with information regarding the Society's relationship with the United Scottish Association. And there were others. I am indebted to Brigadier-General Hugh Co mack for the Society's relationship with the Cameron Highlanders, vii including their joint participation in the Highland Pageants of the 1960s; to Kenneth Stuebing for material on the St. Andrew's Society's Massed Pipe Band; to Charles McKelvie for details regarding the origin and development of New Members' Night; to George Inkster for information regarding the Society's regalia; to Donald Speirs for details on the life of his father; and to W. S. A. Martin and Mr. Justice J. E. Wilson for material on the life and achievements of John MacAulay. I am no less indebted to the Society's Bard, Rev. Dr. A. S. R. Tweedie, who had the foresight to retain copies of the Dinner programs during the years of his bardship, and was able to provide me with other useful information as well. Last, but not least, I acknowledge a great indebtedness to my wife, Janet, who typed the manuscript, and offered many helpful suggestions for the improvement of the text. These, and the many others who have assisted me, share in whatever merits this book may contain. Its defects must be attributed to me alone. T.S. viii Contents I Origins 1 II Beginnings 15 III Projects and Events, 1871-1950 29 IV Presidents and Others 51 V Dinners 85 VI Speakers 103 VII Projects and Events, 1951-1982 118 Epilogue 139 Appendix 141 ix Arrival of Selkirk Settlers at Point Douglas From a painting housed at the Museum of Man and Nature CHAPTER I Origins The St. Andrew's Society of Winnipeg, the oldest continually operating Scottish society in Western Canada, has, by Canadian standards, a long and illustrious history. Founded in 1871, the year after Manitoba became a province, its first president was Lord Strathcona, and it has the distinction of having been constituted by an act of the provincial legislature. As this is written, the Society is 112 years of age. In some cultures (China, for example) 112 years may be a very short time, and certainly it is a short time in the biblical sense, where we are told that, in the sight of the Lord, a thousand years is but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. But in Canada, especially Western Canada, it is a very long time indeed. A hundred and twelve years ago, the Dominion of Canada was little more than a dream in the eyes of Sir John A. Macdonald and the Fathers of Confederation. Canada at that time consisted of only Upper and Lower Canada and the Maritimes, with the postage-stamp province of Manitoba thrown in for good measure. There was little settlement between Manitoba and the west coast, and the population, even in that vast area, was sparse. Winnipeg itself was no more than a hamlet, and the great movement westward was not to begin until the building and completion of the c.P.R. a decade and more later. But, virtually from the beginning in this new land, there had been an influx of Scots. The first of these were explorers and fur-traders. Intrepid Scots, like Fraser and Mackenzie, were to trace the course of two of Western Canada's greatest rivers, while Sir George Simpson of 1 A PROUD HERITAGE the Hudson's Bay Company was to be almost single-handedly responsible for protecting the entire Northwest from American infiltration and preserving it for Canada.

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