Sadly, on Monday, July 24th, 2023, Tony Eshmade passed away. Tony was a very dear friend of Heritage Winnipeg for several decades, a passionate supporter of Winnipeg’s built heritage in both his personal and professional life. Ever charitable with his time and expertise, he was always willing to help when needed. The impact he leaves behind will be felt through the countless historic projects he was a part of in our province, engaging in preservation and rehabilitation work.

Tony was an engineer by trade who immigrated to Canada from England in 1959. He opened his own civil and structural engineering consulting firm in Winnipeg in 1971 – A.F. Eshmade & Associates – with his wife, Bertha. Together the couple designed and built their family home in St. James, where they raised their two daughters, Margaret and Jan. Tony also loved photography and airplanes, two passions he continued to pursue throughout his life.

In over 50 years of working as a civil engineer, Tony had a hand in many significant conservation projects throughout the city, such as the 1903 St. Boniface Normal School at 210 Masson Street and the 1854 Kildonan Presbyterian Church at 201 John Black Avenue. His thoughtful effort and immense knowledge helped ensure the buildings were conserved in a sensitive manner befitting of their historical status, ready to continue serving the community. His interest in built heritage conservation brought him to Heritage Winnipeg, where he was a long time volunteer board member, sharing his expert skills and interesting conversations with our organization. His contributions were invaluable in our successes when advocating for maintenance and rehabilitation of built heritage.

Heritage Winnipeg is forever grateful for Tony’s generosity and kindness throughout the years! We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues as he was a wonderful person that will be missed by the many whose lives he touched!