William Smaill was born in Montréal in 1870 and was educated as a chemist and a civil engineer. In 1892, Smaill was living in Acadian Mines, Nova Scotia, but briefly returned to Montréal to marry Jane Robinson Batt, who was from Ireland. In 1894, they had a son, William Hubert, and a daughter, Margaret Kathleen, in 1896. Shortly after this, Smaill and his family moved to Rat Portage (now Kenora), where he worked as a mining engineer and had two more children: Elsie in 1899 and Carlton in 1901.

Smaill was involved in the construction of the Winnipeg Aqueduct that transports safe drinking water from Shoal Lake to Winnipeg. Preliminary work for the aqueduct began in 1914 and included the building of the Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway and the Falcon River Diversion that diverted the waters of Falcon River, which had an unwanted colour, to Snowshoe Bay. The diversion solved the problem of unwanted colouration of the water supply, but had the effect of limiting Kekekoziibii Shoal Lake 40 First Nation's access to the mainland. In September 1914, contracts were awarded to various companies to build portions of the aqueduct. The Northern Construction Company and the Carter Halls Aldinger Company made a joint bid and were awarded contracts 32, 33, and 34 to build over 47 miles of the aqueduct between Indian Bay and the Whitemouth River. The Winnipeg Aqueduct Construction Company, a conglomerate of Northern Construction and Carter Halls Aldiner, was incorporated in January 1915. William Smaill served as the new company’s superintendent, overseeing the construction of its portion of the aqueduct. The aqueduct was completed in March 1919.

Smaill took many photographs of the construction process and believed photography could be used as an engineering tool. He gave a paper to a University of Manitoba engineering class in 1918 titled, “The Uses of the Camera in Engineering Work”. He wrote several other papers on the aqueduct’s construction, including articles for the Excavating Engineer (1915 and 1917) out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Engineer News Records (1917), out of New York City.

Smaill and his family lived in several places while construction of the aqueduct was underway. These places included Reynolds, Manitoba, the Rural Municipality of Springfield, Manitoba, as well as various camps along the aqueduct’s construction route. Shortly after the aqueduct’s completion, Smaill and his wife moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he was involved in the construction of the Ballantyne Pier and the Second Narrows Bridge. Smaill’s son, William Hubert, also an engineer, served in the First World War as a sapper from 1916 to 1918. Smaill’s other son, Carlton, died in 1921. Smaill passed away in Vancouver in 1947.

Thomas J. Plunkett was born in Northern Ireland in 1921 and grew up in Montreal. He served with the Air Force during the Second World War and obtained degrees from Sir George Williams (Concordia) University and McGill University. He worked as a consultant and advisor on public administration to municipalities across Canada and internationally, and was the chief advisor on the amalgamation of the Greater Winnipeg Metropolitan Area in 1972. He passed away in Kingston in 2005.

The Rural Municipality of Old Kildonan, Manitoba was incorporated in 1921 following subdivision of the Rural Municipality of West Kildonan, and dissolved in 1972 when it joined eleven other municipalities in amalgamating with the City of Winnipeg. Its mandate was to provide municipal services to residents of the area. Its immediate predecessor, the Rural Municipality of West Kildonan, was incorporated in 1914 as a result of subdivision of the original Municipality of Kildonan (incorporated 1881, with jurisdiction over land on both the east and west sides of the Red River). Prior to creation of the Province of Manitoba in 1870, the area was administered by the Council of Assiniboia (1835-1870). Following the Dominion Government of Canada’s purchase of land from the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1869, the newly formed Province of Manitoba had jurisdiction over the area and began the process of municipal incorporation. The signing of Treaty 1 with the Chippewa (Anishinabe) and Cree First Nations in 1871 increased settlement in the region and accelerated the process of municipal development. The name “Kildonan” dates from 1817, when the Earl of Selkirk created the Parish of Kildonan while visiting the colony he had established in 1812. The name refers to the Strath of Kildonan on the Sutherland estate in Scotland from whence a number of his settlers had come.

Following the Provincial Act of 1880, the Province of Manitoba was split into rural municipalities. The areas surrounding the City of Winnipeg were divided into three municipalities: Assiniboia, St. Boniface, and Kildonan. In 1914, the Municipality of Kildonan was split between the river into East and West Kildonan. Following the creation of the Municipality of East Kildonan in 1914, the residents in the northern portion of East Kildonan became increasingly concerned about rising taxes due to rapid urbanization and split into their own municipality. In 1924, the Rural Municipality of North Kildonan was incorporated following the division from the Rural Municipality of East Kildonan. The first Council meeting for the new municipality was convened in 1925, with H.C. Whellams as Reeve. The Municipality of North Kildonan was dissolved in 1972 when it joined eleven other municipalities in amalgamating with the City of Winnipeg.

The 2002 North American Indigenous Games Host Society (Winnipeg) was incorporated after Winnipeg was awarded the 2002 North American Indigenous Games by the NAIG council. This award was based on a presentation made in December of 1997 by the Manitoba Aboriginal Sports & Recreation Council, 3 levels of government, Tourism Winnipeg, Manitoba Metis Federation and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. The mandate of the Society was to plan, organize, finance and stage the 2002 North American Indigenous Games in Winnipeg, and to leave a tangible legacy for Aboriginal sport and cultural activities for future generations. As the organizers of the event, the Host Society was responsible for event coordination, promotion, and fundraising as well as liaising with partners and other administrative tasks.

The North American Indigenous Games is a multi-sport and cultural celebration that involves Aboriginal athletes, performers, volunteers and spectators from across Canada and the United States. The Games have been held intermittently across North America since 1990, in culmination of a vision to hold games for the Indigenous Peoples of North American that began in the 1970s. The 2002 North American Indigenous Games were held in Winnipeg from July 25 to August 4, and made use of venues throughout Winnipeg and nearby communities. An estimated 6500 athletes and coaches, and 3000 performers and spectators, participated in cultural events and/or competed in 16 different sports. The official Host Broadcaster was the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.

The 2002 NAIG was acclaimed as a successful and enjoyable athletic and cultural event. The Games had an estimated economic impact of almost $26 million in the province of Manitoba. An approximately $90,000 Legacy Plan was proposed by the Host Society’s Legacy Committee, and is intended to ensure that the knowledge, skills, and information gained because of the North American Indigenous Games continue to serve the Aboriginal sport community in the future.

The Host Society consisted of 8 Divisions; Host Society Management Division; Administration & Finance Division; Communications Division; Cultural Division; Operations Division; Sport Division; and Volunteer Division.

The Information Officer (Information Research Officer prior to 1967) was responsible for compiling, interpreting, and preparing written information for the use of the Chairman, Council, and Directors of the Metropolitan Corporation, and for explaining to the public the Corporation's aims, policies, and activities. This involved establishing good relations with and disseminating information to the press, radio, and television, and maintaining a library of informative material on municipal government, affairs of the Corporation, and other subjects of concern to the Corporation. The Information Officer was directly accountable to the Executive Director. The position was first held by Arthur Fletcher, during which time the position was called "Information Research Officer". Fletcher stepped down on November 11, 1966, leaving the position vacant for several months. On May 4, 1967, Council voted to appoint Allan S. Bready to the position and change its title to "Information Officer". Bready began on June 1 and remained in his position until Metro's dissolution in 1971.

The Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg (Metro) was established by Manitoba’s Metropolitan Winnipeg Act in 1960 to govern the distribution of services between the City and surrounding areas. It was dissolved in 1972 when suburban municipalities amalgamated with Winnipeg under the project called Unicity. Metro had jurisdiction over inter-municipal services such as water, parks and public transportation. It was responsible for municipal boards and commissions as well as services previously administered by suburban municipalities. Metro was affiliated with suburban municipal governments, rural and otherwise, for Brooklands, Charleswood, East Kildonan, Fort Garry, North Kildonan, Old Kildonan, Saint-Boniface, Saint-Vital, St. James, Transcona, Tuxedo, and West Kildonan. In 1969 the Province of Manitoba undertook a review of this system, which led to Metro’s dissolution. It was governed by a Council and Committees system, the administrative functions being organised into divisions, and each reporting to the Executive Director of the Corporation. In its time, Metro was the second two-tiered municipal government in North America.

Frederick Cluett Landen was born in Hull, Yorkshire, England in 1878. He first came to Winnipeg sometime between 1901 and 1903 to see what the City had to offer. While there, he took several photographs and added them to an album given to him by his older brother, Arthur, in the hopes that they would convince his fiancé, Mary Elizabeth, to move there, which they did in around 1904. Landen continued to add photographs to his album until 1906 and he and Mary Elizabeth lived in Winnipeg for the rest of their lives, starting a painting and decorating business and having two children. Mary Elizabeth passed away in 1939, followed by her husband in 1966.

The municipality of Kildonan was originally formed from the municipality of Kildonan and St. John’s (incorporated in 1876) after the passing by the Provincial Government of the Municipal Incorporation Act of 1873. The municipality of Kildonan and St. John’s was renamed Kildonan after the Provincial Act of 1880, with jurisdiction over land on both the east and west sides of the Red River. The name “Kildonan” dates from 1817, when the Earl of Selkirk created the Parish of Kildonan while visiting the colony he had established in 1812. The name refers to the Strath of Kildonan on the Sutherland estate in Scotland from whence a number of his settlers had come.

For more information on Henry Kalen, see the Henry Kalen fonds at the University of Manitoba Archives and Special Collections.

Henry Kalen was born in Winnipeg on January 20, 1928. He attended the University of Manitoba and obtained a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1957. Kalen became a well known photographer, particularly for architecture firms, and eventually became a lecturer at the University of Manitoba. Kalen passed away in 2004.

Jordan was the editor of the Journal of Infectious Diseases (Chicago).

The Greater Winnipeg Water District (GWWD) was incorporated in 1913 to supply water to the City of Winnipeg and surrounding municipalities. In May 1914, construction began on the aqueduct to bring water from Shoal Lake to Winnipeg. In March 1919, water from Shoal Lake flowed into Winnipeg’s taps and on September 9, 1919, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales (The Prince Edward) dedicated the aqueduct. In 1935, the Greater Winnipeg Sanitary District (GWSD) was incorporated to manage wastewater collection and treatment for the participating sections of the GWWD. These two corporations existed until 1961, when their functions were taken over by the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg.

The GWWD was originally comprised of the City of Winnipeg, the City of St. Boniface, the Town of Transcona, the Rural Municipality of St. Vital, and parts of Fort Garry, Assiniboia, and Kildonan. By 1960, the area serviced by the GWWD also included parts of St. James and Tuxedo.

The GWWD had two boards: the Administration Board and the Board of Commissioners. The Administration Board had the policy-making function and was originally composed of the Mayor and four Councillors of the City of Winnipeg, the Mayor and one Councillor of the City of St. Boniface, the Mayor of Transcona, and the Reeves of the four other municipalities. The Administration Board’s Chairman was the Mayor of Winnipeg. The Board of Commissioners was responsible for operations and it had up to three members. Usually, the Board of Commissioners was composed of a Chairman, Treasurer and one other Commissioner. The Chairman was the City Engineer, and the Treasurer was the Commissioner of Finance of the City of Winnipeg. The third Commissioner was appointed by the Administration Board. A Board of Equalization, appointed by the Public Utilities Commissioner, was also established to determine the assessment levied on the taxable land in each municipality.

The aqueduct was largely built by three contractors, although the GWWD tendered and administered ninety-nine contracts during construction. The three main contractors were J.H. Tremblay Co. Ltd., Thos. Kelly & Sons, and the Winnipeg Aqueduct Construction Co. Ltd.

As no roads existed along the proposed route of the aqueduct, the GWWD created and operated the Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway to run parallel to the route to facilitate the movement of materials and workers. Construction of the railway track began in 1914 and was completed in 1915. The track runs from its terminus in St. Boniface to Waugh, Manitoba near Shoal Lake. After the aqueduct was completed, the railway was also used to carry freight and passengers in an effort to reduce the costs of construction. Freight included firewood, pulpwood, poles, railway ties, ice, mail, milk, gravel and sand. Although initially only three trains ran a week, at the peak of its operation up to four trains a day hauled gravel for use as an aggregate in concrete manufacture.

The first meeting of the GWWD Administration Board took place on July 30, 1913. By the fall of 1913, active work was underway and survey parties were determining the most economical route from Shoal Lake. As the waters of Shoal Lake are part of the Lake of the Woods, which crosses the boundary into the United States, it was necessary to secure the approval of the International Joint Commission. It was also necessary to secure the consent of the Ontario Government as the boundary line between the provinces of Manitoba and Ontario passes through Indian Bay, a tributary of Shoal Lake. Further sections of the aqueduct were located on reserve land belonging to Kekekoziibii Shoal Lake 40 First Nation and the sale of this land was required. The provisions of the Indian Act allowed for reserve lands to be sold with the price of the land set by the Governor in Council and the proceeds of the sale going to the Band. The Department of Indian Affairs valued three thousand acres of Kekekoziibii Shoal Lake 40 First Nation's reserve land at fifty cents per acre. Approximately fifty-five acres on the mainland were valued at three dollars an acre. As the Falcon River ran into the proposed intake area in Indian Bay, a diversion was built so that the waters of Falcon River, which had an unwanted colour, ran into Snowshoe Bay instead. The Falcon River diversion, consisting of a 2.4 km dyke and 840 m channel, solved the problem of unwanted colouration of the water supply, but had the effect of limiting Kekekoziibii Shoal Lake 40 First Nation's access to the mainland.

The City of Winnipeg Archives acknowledges the following sources:

City of Winnipeg, compiled by the City Clerk. Municipal Manual 1955. Winnipeg: Henderson Directories, [1955].

City of Winnipeg, Water and Waste Department, “The Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway.” Last updated June 29, 2018. Available: https://www.winnipeg.ca/waterandwaste/dept/railway.stm

Ennis, David A. “Developing a Domestic Water Supply for Winnipeg from Shoal Lake and Lake of the Woods: The Greater Winnipeg Water District Aqueduct.” Master’s thesis. University of Manitoba, 2011.

Special thanks to the Water and Waste Department for supplying key details.

Richard L. (Rick) Frost worked for 25 years in municipal public service and was the Chief Commissioner of the City of Winnipeg from 1989 until 1997. During his municipal career, he served in many leadership roles including President of the Canadian Municipal Managers Association, President of the Ontario Municipal Management Association and President of the Ontario Municipal Management Development Board. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of The Winnipeg Foundation, Canada’s oldest and third largest community foundation. Since joining The Winnipeg Foundation in 1997, he has served on the Boards of many organizations including the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, The Associates – Asper School of Business, and Dorais Charities. He is also Past Chair of Community Foundations of Canada, a national membership organization serving Canada’s 190+ community foundations and serves on the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council. Mr. Frost holds a Master of Arts (History) from McMaster University, a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University and Honorary Doctorates of Law from both the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba.