Andrew, James

ANDREW, James (fl. 1889-1890) was an obscure architect and builder active in the Brandon region of western Manitoba. His name is linked to one important ecclesiastical work, that for St. Alban's Anglican Church, Assiniboine Street West, OAK LAKE, MAN., begun in 1889 and completed in June 1890; still standing in 2023 (Manitoba Weekly Free Press, 5 Sept. 1889, 5, t.c.; and 26 June 1890, 8, detailed descrip.; Winnipeg Tribune, 29 May 1890, 3; Brandon Mail, 5 June 1890, 1; Canadian Churchman [Toronto], xvi, 10 July 1890, 442, descrip.; Kelly Crossman, A Study of Anglican Church Buildings in Manitoba, 1989, 112, illus). This church,, a modest Gothic Revival design, still stands today as of 2023, and is said to possess “...one of the finest interiors in the Province”. The church opened in June 1890, and given the favourable coverage of this event which appeared in newspapers and journals in Brandon, Winnipeg and Toronto, it may be possible to link the name of James Andrew with other designs for structures erected in Oak Lake region from c. 1885 to c. 1900, and further research is necessary to uncover this information. This church was designated by Parks Canada as a national heritage site in 1999 (Parks Canada, Canada's Historic Sites, designation statement 8 December 1999)