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The following is the history of the Weirs of
The Pas, Manitoba. This history was written by Leslie
E. Weir and was donated by Violet H. Weir in 1987. This is a very interesting history of this Weir
family and my sincerest thanks goes to Violet for sending me a copy. The history has been copied here with the same spelling and punctuation as per the original copy. Where as a word or letter is not legible, a question mark (?) was entered. For those researching this family line, click here to contact one of Leslie's and Violet's relations.
WEIRS OF THE PAS, MANITOBA
My name is LESLIE ERWIN WEIR eldest son of Noble Tait Weir and Isabella
Erwin Ross. I was born Friday December 1907 at Fitzroy Harbour Ontario, which
is on the banks of the Ottawa river across the river from Quoyon Que., 31
miles west of Ottawa. My father Noble Tait Weir was the second son of Thomas
Henry Weir and Mary Vance who were married on October 11 1877. My Great
Grand-father was James Weir born July 3 1791 deceased 1883, was married to
Elizabeth Anderson in St. Andrew Scotland. James Weir and Elizabeth Anderson
came to Canada in 1822 from Forfarshire Scotland first settling in Lachute
Que. and later to Torbolton Ontario. My Grandfather and my Dad were both born
at Torbolton Ont. My Grandfather was a blacksmith by trade and all his seven sons served
their apprenticeship to the trade with him. This enabled them to follow their
trade in the lumber camps of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec in the Ottawa
Valley during the winter months. My Dad came west to Manitoba in 1895 to work
in the lumber camps of Theo. A. Burrows Lumber Co. at Grandview which was the
end of the railway at that time. Returning East in the spring to Torbolton. He
came west again around 1899 to work the harvest in Manitoba around Dauphin and
Grandview and stayed on hiring on the Canadian Northern Rly., at Dauphin with
the Bridge and Building Dept; where he continued to be employed until 1945
when he reached age 65. My mother came west to Dauphin in 1908 when I was 1
year old to live. I was raised in Dauphin and took my schooling in the
Whitmore Public School and McKenzie High School from which I graduated
receiving my Junior Matriculation Certificate whey I was 14 1/2 years old. My parents resided in Dauphin from 1908-1973. My Mother passed away May
15-1973 just short of her 88th birthday. My Dad was transferred to Winnipeg to
Tuxedo Nursing Villa, after my Mother passed away where he continued to reside
until January 30-1980 when he to passed away 7 months short of his 100th
birthday. History records my Great-grandfather James Weir walked to Ottawa to get
flour which was the closest mill, for his family. He packed 700 lbs. of flour
from Ottawa to his homestead in Torbolton a distance of 33 miles when there
were no roads only trails to follow. On arrival home to their cabin he
discovered his wife and children missing so he went in search of them. He
discovered her laying unconscious beside a log used to cross a small stream
and his two children were close to their mother. After her revival he
ascertained from her that she had slipped, striking her head while crossing
the log with her two children to escape from a bear in the bush on the other
side of the stream where she had gone to search for their only cow which had
wandered away. My Dad's second cousin Robert Stanley Weir a Montreal lawyer and later
a Judge in Quebec wrote in 1908 the words for the popular English version of
O'Canada as a tribute to the Quebec Tercentary. Calixa Lavallee wrote the
music
for our National Anthem. Adolphe-Basile Routhier wrote the French words for
Lavellee's music. The three men were honoured by Canada for their contribution
by issuing a commemorative stamp released by the Post-office June 6 1980. (Hon
Justice Robert Stanley Weir, Montreal) After my schooling in Dauphin I started work in 1924 delivering bread
for McMullen's Bakery. Shortly after the business was purchased by Mr. Leper
and I continued employment with him. I used a horse and delivery van on a
route to canvas the stores and homes of the people of Dauphin for over a year.
I then was able to hire on the C.N.R. with the Bridge & Building Dept; in
Dauphin. I was sent to a B. & B. gang to work at Runneymede Sask. where
the gang under foreman Sid. Jakeman were constructing a large cement culvert
under the track. I worked there till near Xmas when I was laid off till the
following spring, when I went to work from the B. & B. again this time in
Dauphin B. & B. material yard under yard foreman Jack McLaughin who was my
Uncle. In the fall of 1927 I had the opportunity to transfer to train service
and started Oct. 4 1927 with that department of the C.N.R. I continued to work
in train service till Dec. 31 1972 when I was retired at age 65 with 46 1/2
years service. I had my first look at the Pas in the summer of 1928 when I was
fortunate enough to make a trip to the Pas as head trainman on a drag of
mostly material and supplies for Dominion Construction Co. who had the
contract for the construction of the Railway extensions to Flin Flon and also
the extension north of Cranberry Portage to Sherridon. We yarded our train on
arrival in The Pas went down the spur to the Pas Lumber Co. to switch out
loads of lumber for the south replacing them with empty cars to be loaded. We
finished making up our train in The Pas yard and started our trip back to
Dauphin. I never returned to The Pas until a few days after New Years day Jan.
1929. I along with two other trainman were sent from Dauphin to report for
duty on the Hudson Bay Rly where there was a shortage of trainman. Major
McLachlan was the Superintendant and Geo. Brown was the Asst. Supt. the Hudson
Bay rly; were in the process of completing the line form mile 356 (Amery) to
Churchill due to the diversion from Port Nelson. I was assigned to a crew that
was used to haul material and supplies from The Pas to the end of the steel.
Each time we returned from The Pas to the end of the steel we were able to
travel further than the trip before due to the gangs laying over a mile a day
with the help of the Pioneer and large gangs of men. The steel reached
Churchill on April 9 1929 and our crew first saw Churchill on April 14 1929.
What a bleak sight, just some rocks a frozen river, no trees and two huge
dredges frozen in the river ice where later the dock and elevator were to be
built near the Dept; of Railway and Canals buildings and work shops. That spring we were to play our part in the rescue of the Hospital
train that became snow-bound near mile 458 at the south edge of the barren
lands. The hospital train was evacuating typhoid patients from the north to
the hospital in Gillam under Nurse Cotter's care. We waited two days at mile
445 for the storm to abate before we could attempt any rescue. Bunny Marsden
my future brother-in-law was our Conductor. I worked with him till June 1929
when our job was finished and the summer work train crews came in to replace
us. In August 29-1935 I married Grace Ann Whale who had come to The Pas in
1929 to teach music and lived in the Rupert House. Our first home was in The
Marion House across 2nd. street from Allard's Store. Our landlord was Frank
Blackburn and his wife Hilda (Marion). Our suite was on the south side of the
ground floor. next door was the Westman house, who were Phil Ridings Mother
and Father-in-law. Over us upstairs lived Emile ST. Godard and his wife. He
lived here till the summer of 1937 due to a shortage of work in The Pas. I
went east to Hornepayne Ont. to work on the C.N.R. Grace my wife moved from
Blackburns to Winnipegosis that fall to nurse her Mother who was ill. In Jan.
1938 she came east to Barrie Ont. where I was working at the time. In the fall
of 1938 I was called back west to Dauphin account of a shortage of trainman
for the wheat-rush. Work was very slow down east that fall so after a period
of regular work in Dauphin when work slacked off we returned to The Pas in
Nov. where we have remained ever since. On returning to The Pas we rented a small suite at the front upstairs
on the Herald Block. Later we moved from the front suite to a large one across
the hall on the Legion side of the building. We now had our daughter Bonnie
living with us. We eventually moved from the Herald Block to a small house
which we were able to rent from Godin's Bakery and was designated as
??1st-Street. We lived there till we were able to obtain larger accomodation at 227 Cook Ave, next to the Harvey House. This House we rented from Mrs.
Collette, Ronnie Collette's Mother who also owned the house next door which
was rented to a Mr. & Mrs. Hart who was the Section-foreman at Prospector.
They were Clayton Hart's parents. Also upstairs again Emile St.Godard and his
wife. Eventually we purchased our first home from George and Ida Anderson at
?23 Constant Ave. We moved there in April 1942 where we raised our two
children Bonnie Ann Weir who was born Sept. 19-1938 in Dauphin General
Hospital and our son Thomas Noble Weir who was born Sept. 16-1941 in St.
Anthony's Hospital in The Pas. Our daughter Bonnie Ann married Ronald Ewing
(employed) by Hydro and they with their four children now reside in Winnipeg.
Our son Thomas Noble employed with C.N.R. married to Delores Holowachuk
resides in The Pas with their three children. In 1959 we arranged for a contractor to build us a new home in the Bell
subdivision about to be opened up in the east side of town. Our house was
completed in the late fall of 1959 allowing us to move in to 236 Bell ave,
which has been our address ever since. During the past five years I have been actively involved in the
organization and formation of our Golden Age Group and to-date we have
approximately 250 members.
signed Leslie E. Weir |
