William Carson McBrien (12 January 1889 – 18 June 1954) was a Canadian business owner and civic administrator. He was a long-serving chairman of the Toronto Transportation Commission and oversaw the construction of Canada's first underground rapid transit subway system in Toronto, Ontario.
He was born in Orangeville, Ontario, and moved to Toronto as a young boy. He began a hardware business at age 15 with his older brother Fred, a future city council alderman and member of the Ontario Legislature.[1] He served overseas with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War, rising to the rank of Major in the 12th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops. On his return to Canada, he worked in the real estate business, and became active in civic affairs. He ran in Toronto Southwest B as a Conservative in the 1919 provincial election but lost to the Liberal John Ramsden. He served on the Toronto Board of Education as member and Chairman and later was appointed to the Toronto Harbour Commission. In 1930, he was appointed as one of three members of the Toronto Transportation Commission. He was Chairman of the TTC in 1931 to 1932 and then from mid-1933 to his death. During the Second World War, he served in Canada as a Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding a reserve unit of the Royal Canadian Engineers.
He guided the TTC through the difficult years of the Great Depression and the Second World War. He strongly supported the TTC's construction of Canada's first subway, which opened three months before his death. He was chairman during the transformation of the Toronto Transportation Commission from a local transit operator to a regional operator, the Toronto Transit Commission upon the formation of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto in 1954.
william, mcbrien, william, carson, mcbrien, january, 1889, june, 1954, canadian, business, owner, civic, administrator, long, serving, chairman, toronto, transportation, commission, oversaw, construction, canada, first, underground, rapid, transit, subway, sys. William Carson McBrien 12 January 1889 18 June 1954 was a Canadian business owner and civic administrator He was a long serving chairman of the Toronto Transportation Commission and oversaw the construction of Canada s first underground rapid transit subway system in Toronto Ontario William Carson McBrienMcBrien c 1917Born 1889 01 12 12 January 1889Orangeville Ontario CanadaDied18 June 1954 1954 06 18 aged 65 Toronto Ontario CanadaResting placeProspect CemeteryCitizenshipCanadianOccupationBusinessman Public AdministratorYears active1904 1954OrganizationToronto Transportation CommissionKnown forModernizing the TTC and building Canada s first subwayTitleChairmanTerm1933 1954Political partyConservativeSpouseClara Doreen CaseRelativesFred McBrien brother Biography editHe was born in Orangeville Ontario and moved to Toronto as a young boy He began a hardware business at age 15 with his older brother Fred a future city council alderman and member of the Ontario Legislature 1 He served overseas with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War rising to the rank of Major in the 12th Battalion Canadian Railway Troops On his return to Canada he worked in the real estate business and became active in civic affairs He ran in Toronto Southwest B as a Conservative in the 1919 provincial election but lost to the Liberal John Ramsden He served on the Toronto Board of Education as member and Chairman and later was appointed to the Toronto Harbour Commission In 1930 he was appointed as one of three members of the Toronto Transportation Commission He was Chairman of the TTC in 1931 to 1932 and then from mid 1933 to his death During the Second World War he served in Canada as a Lieutenant Colonel commanding a reserve unit of the Royal Canadian Engineers He guided the TTC through the difficult years of the Great Depression and the Second World War He strongly supported the TTC s construction of Canada s first subway which opened three months before his death He was chairman during the transformation of the Toronto Transportation Commission from a local transit operator to a regional operator the Toronto Transit Commission upon the formation of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto in 1954 The TTC headquarters building at Davisville subway station opened in 1958 is named the McBrien Building in his honour References edit The Late Fred McBrien Toronto Daily Star Toronto 1938 07 04 p 4 Preceded byS J McMaster Chairman of the Toronto Transportation Commission Toronto Transit Commission1933 1954 Succeeded byWilliam G RussllPreceded byFrederick Langdon Hubbard Chairman of the Toronto Transportation Commission Toronto Transit Commission1931 1932 Succeeded byS J McMaster Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William C McBrien amp oldid 1196061212, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
