by Terry Lynn McMaster
Robert McClement and his wife Martha (Nichol) McClement arrived in Quebec in 1877 by steamship along with their five young children, including four young boys – James, Samuel, Robert Jr., and David. The boys ranged in age; baby David was just a year old, while the eldest brother, James, was twelve. Each of these four brothers would later make their way to Brandon, Manitoba – each arriving at different times and all arriving in their late thirties and early forties. Each of these young men involved himself in the community through his work and family.
Rosser Avenue in Brandon, Manitoba was a busy thoroughfare. Some of the vehicles seen in the image above may been purchased through Reliance Motors, an early car dealership, managed by William James McClement and W.T. Beer.
When David McClement and his wife “Annie” Corbett arrived in Brandon, David was soon employed as an operator with the railway. Captured above is one of the early passenger trains available to Brandon residents.
In keeping with ongoing city development, the image above of Nation & Shewan Block shows evidence of available shopping including fashion apparel. These are options that Martha McClement and her friends might have found most enjoyable given that they attended quite a number of weddings in the early twentieth century in Brandon.
The family was active in the local community. Pictured above is Miss Martha McClement, daughter of James McClement, during a campaign offered by the Brandon Sun to see who could sell the highest number of newspaper subscriptions.