GAGNON, Willford Arthur (1879-1973), active in Montreal where he worked under his own name, and was briefly in partnership with Samuel A. Finley (see list of works under Finley & Gagnon). Born on 25 November 1879 in Quebec province, he trained under Sir Andrew Thomas Taylor (in 1897-1900), then worked as a draftsman in the office of Finley & Spence (in 1900-05) assisting them with major projects including Guardian Insurance Building (1902), the Metropolitan Bank (1903), and the Grosvenor Apartments (1905). In 1905-06 he travelled in Europe, and studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris under 'Mr. Duquesne'. He rejoined Finley & Spence in 1906, and was appointed junior partner with them in 1909. After the dissolution of their firm in 1912, Gagnon was briefly in partnership with Finley (in 1913-14), then commenced practise in Montreal under his own name. Like his younger brother Clarence A. Gagnon, a prominent Canadian artist, Willford also exhibited his drawings and paintings at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (E. McMann, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Spring Exhibitions 1880-1970, 1988, 139). He joined the P.Q.A.A. in 1915 and resigned from the profession in 1952. Gagnon later died in Montreal on 20 June 1973 (death notice Gazette [Montreal], 25 June 1973, 18; biog. R.I.B.A., Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, 2001, i, 699).
W.A. GAGNON (works in Montreal and region)
WESTMOUNT, residence for Leopold Rodier, Metcalfe Street, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 6 March 1912, 68)
ROSEMERE, QUE., 'Manoir d'Anton', a country house for James W. Domville, 1913 (C.R., xxvii, 10 Sept. 1913, 73; C.H.G., iv, April 1927, 46, illus.)
MONTREAL, QUE., residence for J.A. Trudeau, Pine Avenue, 1913 (C.R., xxvii, 13 Aug. 1913, 70)
OUTREMONT, residence for J.O. Lavergne, 751 Hartland Avenue, 1917 (Outremont b.p. 1118, 18 Oct. 1917)
OUTREMONT, residence for J.R. Walsh, Hartland Avenue, 1919 (Outremont b.p. 1198, 23 June 1919)
OUTREMONT, residence for J.O. Lavergne, 718 Hartland Avenue, 1919 (Outremont b.p. 1202, 24 June 1919)
OUTREMONT, residence for J.O. Lavergne, 724 Hartland Avenue, 1920 (Outremont b.p. 1280, 28 April 1920)
OUTREMONT, residence for Arthur Vaillancourt, McCulloch Avenue, 1923 (Outremont b.p. 1618, 24 April 1923)
OUTREMONT, residence for J.A. Trudeau, Cote Ste. Catherine Road, 1927 (Outremont b.p. 2186, 29 April 1927)
OUTREMONT, residence for Lucien Perrault, Ainslie Avenue, 1940 (Outremont b.p. 3470, 18 April 1940)
COMPETITIONS
SUBURBAN BICYCLE CLUB HOUSE, 1900. Using the pseudonym 'Spes', Gagnon prepared an elaborate Shingle Style design and received Second Prize in the competition sponsored by Canadian Architect & Builder magazine (C.A.B., xiii, March 1900, 51-2 and plate illus.).
PORCH FOR A CITY HOUSE, 1901, and A VESTIBULE, 1901. Gagnon received two First Prizes in separate competitions, both sponsored by Canadian Architect & Builder. Each design was later published (C.A.B., xiv, Feb. 1901, 30-32, illus. & descrip.; and March 1901, 55, illus.)
CANADIAN BATTLEFIELDS MEMORIALS, 1921. Gagnon collaborated with his brother Clarence A. Gagnon and was among over 100 competitors who submitted a total of 160 sets of plans in this two-stage competition for eight memorials to be constructed in France and Belgium after WW1 (Gazette [Montreal], 26 April 1921, 10; C.R., xxxv, 4 May 1921, 452). Their proposal advanced to the second stage (Const., xiv, June 1921, 167, illus.) but was later set aside in favour of the winning designs by F.C. Clemesha and Walter S. Allward.
DOMINION HOUSING ACT, Competition for Low Cost House Designs, 1936. Gagnon submitted two designs in this national competition sponsored by the federal government. His plans, including Design No. 99, and Design No. 213, were both in a neo-Georgian style (Dominion Housing Act: Low Cost House Designs, 1936, 35, 43, illus. ). Neither of his schemes was premiated. The First Prize was awarded to William Ralston of Toronto.