COMBER, Sydney (1887-1961) was born in Brighton, England on 29 January 1887, and educated at the Technical School and the School of Art at Southend-on-Sea in 1901-06. During this period he articled with W.Y. Hobiss at Southend, then moved to London in 1906 to become assistant in the Architectural Department of the Marylebone Borough Council. He emigrated to Canada in Octobert 1907 and took a position as chief assistant to J.E. Adamson of Montreal from 1907 to 1911. Comber then opened his own office in late 1911 and quickly became the leading Canadian authority on the design of industrial bakeries and dairy production facilities. His reputation led to commissions for this building type in locations across the country, and no other Canadian architect was as prolific at devising contemporary architectural forms to accommodate these industrial uses. His son, Clarence S. Comber (1912-1998) trained under his father and became a full partner in the firm of Comber & Son in 1940. They continued to practice together until the death of Sydney Comber on 20 October 1961 (obit. Gazette [Montreal], 23 Oct. 1961, 43; Montreal Star, 23 Oct. 1961, 5; biog. and port. Montreal Old & New, 1914, 341; biog. National Reference Book, 1929-30, 79, inf. Ontario Assoc. of Architects).
S. COMBER (works in Montreal)
WESTMOUNT, Harrison Bakery, Prince Albert Street at Somerville, Street, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 18 Oct. 1911, 59, t.c.)
JAMES STRACHAN LTD., City Hall Avenue, major addition to the bakery, 1914-15; addition, 1926-27 (C.R., xxviii, 23 Dec. 1914, 1558-9, illus. & descrip.; Montreal b.p. 5138, 19 Nov. 1926)
ST. LAMBERT, QUE, residence for Wilfrid Comber, Dulwich Avenue, 1931 (Le Prix Courant, xxxiv, 25 March 1921, 86; inf. Yves Guillet, St. Lambert)
OUTREMONT, Temple Baptist Church, Durocher Avenue at Bermard Avenue West, 1921 (Gazette [Montreal], 23 April 1921, 7, descrip.; C.R., xxxv, 13 July 1921, 47, t.c.)
OUTREMONT, duplex for F.W. Singer, Hartland Avenue, 1922 (Outremont b.p. 1487, 1 May 1922)
WESTMOUNT, Westmount Baptist Church, Sherbrooke Street West at Roslyn Avenue, 1923-24 (C.R., xxxvii, 10 Oct. 1923, 51, t.c.; Gazette [Montreal], 7 April 1923, 5, descrip.; 16 April 1925, 7, descrip.; Canadian Baptist, 23 April 1925, 3, descrip.; Montreal, Les Eglises, 1981, 474-5, illus.; inf. Scott Edwards)
MONTREAL WEST, Elmhurst Dairy Ltd., St. James Street West opposite Elmhurst Avenue, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 11 Jan. 1928, 51; Gazette [Montreal], 16 Oct. 1928, 7; and 17 Oct. 1928, 10, illus. & descrp.; Montreal, Architecture Industrielle, 1982, 300-03, illus.; inf. Scott Edwards)
OUTREMONT, Beatty Bros., Durocher Avenue at Beaubien Street, office and factory, 1929 (Outremont b.p. 2616, 21 Oct. 1929; Montreal Daily Star, 22 Nov. 1929, 3)
MODERN CANADIAN BREAD CO., Papineau Avenue near Sherbrooke Street East, 1930 (C.R., xliv, 8 Jan. 1930, 55)
WESTMOUNT, Harrison Bros. Ltd., Ste. Catherine Street West, bakery, 1930 (C.R., xliv, 9 July 1930, 850, illus. & descrip.; Montreal, Architecture Industrielle, 1982, 128-9, illus.)
STANDARD BRANDS LTD., St. Urbain Street near Milton Street, office and warehouse, 1931-32 (Gazette [Montreal], 20 Oct. 1931, 10, illus. & descrip.; inf. Scott Edwards)
OUTREMONT, Elmhurst Dairy, Hutchison Street near Van Horne Avenue, large addition for offices, 1932 (Outremont b.p. 2812, 6 May 1932; Gazette [Montreal], 18 June 1932, 2; inf. Scott Edwards)
ROSEMOUNT BAPTIST CHURCH, Rosemount Boulevard at Fullum Street, 1933 (Gazette [Montreal], 25 Feb. 1933, 2)
COOPERATIVE DE LAIT ET CREME DE MONTREAL, Notre Dame Street East at Pie IX Boulevard, major addition to dairy, 1933-34 (Gazette [Montreal], 26 Sept. 1933, 6; inf. Scott Edwards)
STRACHAN BROTHERS LTD., Rivard Street, major addition to bakery. garage and stables, 1936 (Gazette [Montreal], 16 Sept. 1936, 4, descrip.)
OXFORD PARK, Public Washrooms Pavilion, Western Avenue at Oxford Avenue, 1936-37 (Gazette [Montreal], 6 Nov. 1936, 6)
IDEAL DAIRY LTD., L'Esperance Street, addition of a large garage for delivery vans, 1939 (Montreal Daily Star, 2 Feb. 1939, 32, descrip.)
MADISON AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, Monkland Avenue at Madison Avenue, major addition and alterations, 1939-40 (Gazette [Montreal], 26 Aug. 1939, 3, descrip., but lacking attribution to the architect; inf. Scott Edwards)
MURPHY PAINT CO., Manufacturers Street [now Augustin-Cantin Street] at Argenson Street, a 2 storey addition, 1940-41 (Gazette [Montreal], 20 Dec. 1940, 23; inf. Scott Edwards)
S. COMBER (works outside Montreal)
TORONTO, ONT., Ideal Bakery Co., Dovercourt Road at Argyle Street, 1918 (Toronto b.p. 16227, 23 April 1918; Const., xiii, Jan. 1920, 14-17, illus. & descrip.; National Post [Toronto], 15 Dec. 2018, PH11, illus. & descrip.)
TORONTO, ONT., Eclipse Bakery, Claremont Street, 1920 (Toronto b.p. 28379, 21 Jan. 1920)
OTTAWA, ONT., Standard Bread Co., Gladstone Avenue at Breezehill Avenue, 1922-23 (C.R., xxxvi, 29 Nov. 1922, 47, t.c.)
GRAND LIGNE, QUE., Masse Hall at the Feller Institute, with gymnasium, meeting rooms and workshop, 1923-24 (C.R., xxxvii, 19 Dec. 1923, 46)
OTTAWA, ONT., Standard Bread Co., Oliver Street, new bakery, 1924 (Ottawa Journal, 21 Aug. 1924, 5, descrip.; and 31 Jan. 1935, 17-23, Illustrated Supplement on Standard Bread Co. Building, illus. & descrip.)
HAMILTON, ONT., major addition to Ideal Bread Co., Sanford Avenue South, 1927-28 (C.R., xli, 2 Nov. 1927, 56, t.c.; and xlii, 16 May 1928, 69, illus. in advert.)
(with Storey & Van Egmond) REGINA, SASK., Crown Bakery Ltd., 8th Avenue at Hamilton Street, 1928-29 (Morning Leader [Regina], 11 April 1929, 5; and 30 Nov. 1929, 25-27, illus. & extensive descrip.; inf. Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
SHERBROOKE, QUE., W. Allatt Bakery Ltd., Melbourne Street, 1928-29 (C.R., xlii, 12 Dec. 1928, 46)
COWANSVILLE, QUE., Ottawa Hotel, 1929 (Canadian Hotel Review, vii, Feb. 1929, 22; C.R., xliii, 20 March 1929, 69)
CALGARY, ALTA., Golden West Bakery, 14th Avenue East at 6th Street, for Inter-City Bakeries Ltd., 1929 (C.R., xliii, 5 June 1929, 61)
(with David Webster) SASKATOON, SASK., McGavin Bakeries Ltd., 2nd Avenue North at Queen Street, 1929 (Star-Phoenix [Saskatoon], 7 Sept. 1929, 3, descrip.; C.R., xliii, 25 Sept. 1929, 148)
(with Storey & Van Egmond) REGINA, SASK., McGavin Bakeries Ltd., Albert Street North at 4th Avenue, 1929 (Regina Daily Leader, 28 Jan. 1930, 10-11, illus. & descrip.; dwgs. at SAB, RP 1.72; inf. Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
WINNIPEG, MAN., Speirs-Parnell Baking Co. Ltd., Elgin Avenue, 1930 (C.R., xliv, 12 Feb. 1930, 56)
(with Hutton & Souter) HAMILTON, ONT., Acme Farmer's Dairy, Barton Street East near Chapple Street, 1931 (C.R., xlvi, 16 Feb. 1932, 41, illus. in advert.)
VILLE LA SALLE, QUE., Standard Brands Ltd., Lafleur Boulevard near Honore Mercier Bridge, factory, 1936; major addition, 1948 (C.R., vol. 50, 6 May 1936, 36; and lxi, July 1948, 134)
S. COMBER & SON (works in Montreal and elsewhere)
MONTREAL, QUE., Progress Brand Clothes Inc., Park Avenue, factory, 1946 (C.R., lix, Jan. 1946, 97)
TORONTO, ONT., major addition to Hunt's Bakery Ltd., Walker Avenue, west of Yonge Street, 1946 (C.R., lix, June 1946, 142)
CALGARY, ALTA., Standard Brands Co., 15th Street East at 20th Avenue, yeast factory, 1946; margarine factory, 1950 (C.R., lix, July 1946, 105; and lxiii, Dec. 1950, 110)
CHATHAM, ONT., Standard Brands Ltd., processing plant and boiler house, 1946 (C.R., lix, Nov. 1946, 98)
OUTREMONT, QUE., Anglo-Canadian Brush Co., Bates Road, factory, 1947 (Outremont b.p. 4202, 7 May 1947)
MOUNT ROYAL, QUE., Wonder Bakeries Ltd., Prince Albert Avenue, 1948 (C.R., lxi, July 1948, 136)
MOUNT ROYAL, QUE., A.C. Leslie & Co. Ltd., Royalmount Avenue, warehouse and offices, 1948 (C.R., lxi, Nov. 1948, 144)
MONTREAL, QUE., Montreal Locomotive Works Ltd., Notre Dame Street East, major addition and remodeling of diesel locomotive shop, 1949 (C.R., lxii, March 1949, 141)
OUTREMONT, QUE., H.J. Heinz Co., Rockland Avenue, office and warehouse, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, June 1950, 129; Gazette [Montreal], 24 Jan. 1951, 11, illus. & descrip.)
MONTREAL, QUE., Beatty Bros., Cremazie Boulevard West, office and warehouse, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, May 1950, 148)
MONTREAL, QUE., Steinberg's Ltd., Hochelega Street, warehouse, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, March 1950, 138)
MOUNT ROYAL, QUE., St. Lawrence Chemical Co., office and warehouse, 1950 (Financial Post [Toronto], 27 May 1950, 10, descrip.)
MONTREAL, QUE., Catherine Booth Mother's Hospital, for the Salvation Army, Walkley Avenue, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, Feb. 1950, 124)
MOUNT ROYAL, QUE., Hungarian United Church, Graham Boulevard at McEachran Avenue, 1954 (Gazette [Montreal], 18 Sept. 1954, 30, descrip.)