ANGUS, Henry [Harry] Westlake (1882-1929) was a prolific architect in North Bay, Ont. who, with his brother Robert Y. Angus, dominated the architectural scene in northern Ontario during the first three decades of the 20th C. Born in London, Ont. on 27 March 1882 he was educated at public and high schools in that city but appears to have not received any formal university education. He worked as an architectural apprentice for H.C. McBride in London between 1897 and 1900, and then moved to North Bay to work in the office of James Thomson, an architect who operated a dual practise in both North Bay and in Sault Ste. Marie. He became a partner in the office of Thomson & Angus in 1902 and commenced his own practise in North Bay in 1904. He persuaded his younger brothers Robert Y. Angus and George P. Angus (the latter was a surveyor by trade) to join him in North Bay in 1905, but it was not until 1912 that the partnership of Angus & Angus was created. Dozens of commissions for buildings in North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Sturgeon Falls, Haileybury, Cobalt, New Liskeard and Fort William were completed by their office, and by 1918 Harry Angus was devoting much of his attention to financial and contracting aspects of the business, leaving the design work to his brother Robert Y. Angus to carry out. Together, they completed more than 70 projects in the region between 1905 and 1930.
The lack of a distinctive character and style of much of their work was often based on a practical, even spartan, aesthetic which they employed that was necessitated by the limited range of local building materials and the harsh climate of the area, and was indicative of a builder's approach to problems of low budgets and a relatively short construction season in Northern Ontario. In late 1921 Harry became increasingly preoccupied with other building and entrepreneurial interests and turned over the office operation to his brothers and incorporated his own contracting firm of Angus & Taylor, Ltd. which undertook the construction of bridges, railway lines and highways. He died in North Bay on 28 November 1929 (obituary in The Nugget [North Bay], 3 Dec. 1929, 8; biography and list of works in Who's Who and Why in Canada, 1915-16, 1270; A.A. Gard, North Bay: Gateway to Silver Land, 1909, 134, 136, 142, 154-55, illus.; inf. Paul McIlroy). The North Bay Area Museum holds an extensive collection of more than 800 drawings by the firm produced between 1905 and 1930, and most projects listed below are accompanied by drawings held by this archive.
H.W. ANGUS (works in North Bay)
McCOOL BLOCK, Algonquin Avenue, 1904 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, First Avenue East, 1904; additions 1917 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
BLANCHET BLOCK, Oak Street, 1905 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
FIRST AVENUE, residence for B. M. Mulligan, 1905 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
BRENNAN BLOCK, Main Street West, 1905; addition 1913 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
TEMISKAMING & NORTHERN ONTARIO RAILWAY CO., office building, Regina Street, c. 1906 (A. Gard, North Bay: Gateway to Silverland. 1909, 142, illus.)
OPERA HOUSE, Main Street West, 1907 (C.R., xviii, 12 June 1907, 4)
MURRAY STREET, residence for Sen. George Gordon, c. 1907 (Who's Who & Why in Canada, 1915-16, 1270, list of works)
BISHOP'S PALACE, a residence for Roman Catholic Bishop Scollard, McIntyre Street, 1910 (Cobalt Daily Nugget, 17 March 1910, 2, descrip.)
MAIN STREET WEST, at Ferguson Street, office block for H.S. Campbell, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 12 July 191, 61)
COCHRANE HARDWARE LTD., Main Street West, a 3 storey retail store 1911 (Cobalt Daily Nugget, 30 Sept. 1911, 8, descrip.; C.R., xxv, 4 Oct. 1911, 61)
FARMER'S AND CONSUMERS CO-OPERATIVE CO., cold storage building on the 'CPR property', 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 14 Feb. 1912, 68)
KING GEORGE PUBLIC SCHOOL, Harvey Street at Jane Street, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 13 March 1912, 72, t.c.)
H.W. ANGUS (works outside North Bay)
STURGEON FALLS, ONT., H.M. Legault Block, 1904 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
STURGEON FALLS, ONT., Michaud & Levesque Block, 1904 (North Bay Museum, dwgs)
STURGEON FALLS, ONT., addition to the Public School, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 28 March 1906, 2, t.c.)
SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT., addition to the General Hospital, Queen Street East, 1907 (C.R., xvii, 27 Feb. 1907, 2, t.c.)
SUDBURY, ONT., addition to St. Joseph's Hospital, Beech Street East, 1907 (C.R., xvii, 27 Feb. 1907, 2, t.c.)
ENGLEHART, ONT., Railway Station for the T. & N.O. Railway, c. 1908 (A. Gard, North Bay: Gateway to Silverland, 1909, 134, illus.)
TEMAGAMI, ONT., Railway Station for the T. & N.O. Railway, c. 1908 (A. Gard, North Bay: Gateway to Silverland, 1909, 134, illus.)
SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT., St. Luke's Anglican Cathedral, Albert Street East, a new parish hall, 1909 (Sault Star, 22 April 1909, 1; Centennial Commemoration: One Hundred Years of the Church of England in Sault Ste. Marie, 1832-1932, 30-31, illus.)
COBALT, ONT., Fire Hall, 1909 (Cobalt Daily Nugget, 17 Sept. 1909, 5)
ORILLIA, ONT., Sunday School for the Presbyterian Church, Peter Street North, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 1 March 1911, 27)
CHAPLEAU, ONT., Town Hall & Library, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 22 March 1911, 53)
CHAPLEAU, ONT., residence for O. Boucher, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 5 July 1911, 61)
ESPANOLA, ONT., hotel for the Spanish River Pulp & Paper Co., 1911 (C.R., xxv, 2 Aug. 1911, 63; Cobalt Daily Nugget, 14 Sept. 1911, 8)
COPPER CLIFF, ONT., Public School, 1911-12 (C.R., xxv, 1 Nov. 1911, 56)
ANGUS & ANGUS (works in North Bay)
CARNEGIE LIBRARY, McIntyre Street East at Wyld Street, 1912-13; demol. (M. Beckman, The Best Gift, 1984, 162, 185, illus.)
FIRST AVENUE WEST, residence for James B. Lee, 1913 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
ANGUS BLOCK, Fraser Street, 1914 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
WORTHINGTON STREET EAST, residence for Edward L. Banner, 1915 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
McPHAIL STREET PUBLIC SCHOOL, 1922 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
NORTH BAY HIGH SCHOOL, major addition of 6 classrooms, 1922-23 (Daily Nugget [North Bay], 17 Nov. 1922, 14)
NORTH BAY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, club house, 1922 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
ST. JOHN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH, Main Street East at Sherbrooke Street, a large new Parish Hall for the future church, 1925; with major addition to the Hall, 1930 (Daily Nugget [North Bay], 15 May 1923, 3, t.c.; and 14 Dec. 1923, 8, detailed descrip.; The Nugget [North Bay], 16 Aug. 1930, 2, t.c.; and 21 Feb. 1931, 3; C.R., xliv, 27 Aug. 1930, 62, t.c.) )
PUBLIC SCHOOL, 1925 (Daily Nugget [North Bay], 20 March 1925, 1, t.c.)
QUEEN VICTORIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, Klock Avenue at Bloem Street, major addition, 1926 (Daily Nugget [Cobalt], 26 March 1926, 2; C.R., xl, 28 April 1926, 52)
COPELAND STREET, residence for John R. Taylor, 1926 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
MASONIC TEMPLE, First Avenue, 1926-28 (Daily Nugget [Cobalt], 7 May 1926, 3, t.c.; The Globe [Toronto], 30 May 1928, 3)
WORTHINGTON STREET WEST, apartment block for Miss M. Brennan, 1929 (Daily Nugget [North Bay], 13 Sept. 1929, 5)
NORTH BAY CURLING CLUB, Worthington Street West, indoor ice rink and club rooms, 1929 (Daily Nugget [North Bay], 13 Sept. 1929, 5)
ARCADIAN TEA ROOM, Main Street East at Ferguson Street, a 3 storey commercial block, 1930; still standing in 2022 (The Nugget [North Bay], 20 Sept. 1930, 12, descrip.)
ANGUS & ANGUS (works outside North Bay)
NEW LISKEARD, ONT., Carnegie Library, Whitewood Avenue West at Wellington Street South, 1910-12; still standing in 2022 (Cobalt Daily Nugget, 16 July 1910, 5, t.c.; M. Beckman, The Best Gift, 1984, 153, 185, illus.)
MATTAWA, ONT., a 3 storey hotel for A. Valois, Main Street, 1912 (Cobalt Daily Nugget, 28 Dec. 1911, 8; C.R., xxvi, 14 Feb. 1912, 68)
COBALT, ONT., Town Hall, Presley Street, 1913-14 (Ottawa Journal, 23 July 1913, 11, t.c.; C.R., xxvii, 10 Sept. 1913, 70; Parks Canada, Town Halls of Canada, 1987, 282)
SUDBURY, ONT., Nickel Range Hotel, Elm Street West, 1914 (Sudbury Star, 31 Jan. 1914, 1, illus. and descrip.; 2 June 1915, 6, descrip.)
FORT WILLIAM, ONT., St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church, Mary Street at Brown Street, 1914; demol. 1981 (Who's Who & Why in Canada, 1915-16, 1270, list of works)
COCHRANE, ONT., Public School, designed 1914; built 1915-16 (C.R., xxviii, 24 June 1914, 76; xxx, 19 April 1916, 380-81, 391, illus. & descrip.; inf. Scott Edwards)
SUDBURY, ONT., Cochrane Hardware Block, Durham Street South, 1914-15 (Sudbury Star, 13 Feb. 1915, 1, illus)
CHAPLEAU, ONT., Roman Catholic Separate School, 1915 (Sudbury Star, 20 Feb. 1915, 1, illus.)
BRANTFORD, ONT., E.B. Crompton & Co. Department Store, Colborne Street at Queen Street, a large 4 storey block, 1915 (Brantford Expositor, 8 March 1915, 3, descrip.; and 30 Oct. 1915, 11, detailed architectural description; Who's Who & Why in Canada, 1915-16, 1270, list of works for H. Angus)
SUDBURY, ONT., business block for P.J. McAndrew, Station Street, 1914-15 (Sudbury Star, 27 March 1915, 3, illus.)
SUDBURY, ONT., The Flatiron Building (also called The Prete Block), Station Street at Grey Street, 1914 (Sudbury Star, 24 April 1915, 1, illus.)
SUDBURY, ONT., High School, College Street, 1914 (Sudbury Star, 21 Aug. 1915, 1, illus.)
SUDBURY, ONT., addition to the American Hotel, Durham Street South, 1915 (Sudbury Star, 4 Sept. 1915, 1, illus.)
NOELVILLE, ONT., St. David Roman Catholic Church, Notre Dame Street East, 1915 (Sudbury Journal, 28 Oct. 1915, 1, illus.)
PARRY SOUND, ONT., Victory Public School, Forest Street, 1917 (Const., x, March 1917)
TIMMINS, ONT., Roman Catholic Separate School, 1917 (C.R., xxxi, 5 Sept. 1917, 41)
COBALT, ONT., Roman Catholic Separate School, 1917 (Daily Nugget [North Bay], 19 Oct. 1917, 8)
WEST FERRIS TOWNSHIP, public school, 1923 (Daily Nugget [North Bay], 9 March 1923, 3, t.c.)
STURGEON FALLS, ONT., a new public school of 4 classrooms, with addition and alterations to existing building, 1925 (Daily Nugget [North Bay], 11 Aug. 1925, 4, t.c.)
CHAPLEAU, ONT., block for E.W. Ross, 1926 (North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
ORILLIA, ONT., new 6 storey hotel, "....on the site of the old Queen's Hotel", Dunlop Street East, 1927-28 (The Nugget [North Bay], 25 Nov. 1927, 12, descrip.)
OWEN SOUND, ONT., Masonic Temple, 1928 (Brantford Expositor, 31 May 1928, 6)
BARRIE, ONT., Masonic Temple, Owen Street, alterations to existing building,1929 (Daily Nugget [North Bay], 28 May 1929, 7; North Bay Museum, dwgs.)
SUDBURY, ONT. The Benjamin Block, a 2 storey commercial block for Isaac Benjamin, Durham Street near Larch Street, 1930 (The Nugget [North Bay], 16 April 1930, 10, descrip.)