Breakey Monument

The plaque honoring Norman Breakey, inventor of the paint roller, is located in Pierson, Manitoba.

Born in Pierson to William and Jane Breakey in 1891, Norman settled in Toronto, Ontario after serving in World Warr I, where he managed a hardware store and eventually invented the paint roller. This revolutionary painting technique was popular but unfortunately, Breakey didn’t patent his invention or wasn’t able to produce and sell enough to protect his patent.

Other manufacturers ran with the idea and produced their own paint rollers. American, Richard Croxton Adams, of Sherwin-William was able to secure the U.S. Patent after developing his own paint roller design. 

Fame and knowledge of his contribution to the world were awarded posthumously. He was listed in both the inventor’s volume of McClelland & Stewart’s Canadian Centennial Library and a Maclean’s feature called Who’s Who of Canadian What’s His Names in 1967.