A stretch of highway south of Dauphin, Manitoba, now carries the name of Canada’s most decorated military member in Commonwealth history. The Manitoba government has renamed a section of Provincial Trunk Highway 10 between Dauphin and the north boundary of Riding Mountain National Park as the Lt.-Col. William G. Barker Highway.
The new signs were unveiled at a ceremony on May 29, 2026, at the Dauphin airport, which has borne Barker’s name since 1998. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor and Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn attended the event.
“Our government is proud to recognize Lt.-Col. Barker’s extraordinary legacy and this renaming reflects what we heard directly from the people of Dauphin and the surrounding region,” Naylor said.
The initiative came from the community itself, with backing from Mayor David Bosiak, the reeve, and council members for both the City and Rural Municipality of Dauphin. Lt.-Col. William G. (Billy) Barker was born on a farm near Dauphin on November 3, 1894, and became a First World War fighter ace credited with 50 aerial victories. He received the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order with bar, and the Military Cross with two bars, making him the most decorated serviceman in Commonwealth history.
Drivers traveling the Parkland Highway south of Dauphin will now see the signs marking this tribute to a local hero whose name already graces the airport and a school in the community.
