Manitoba Business: Dominion Bridge Company

This Montreal-based firm, which had operated a steel fabricating plant in Winnipeg since 1906, declared bankruptcy in September 1998 and its assets were eventually sold.

Chief Engineers (Western Division)

Period

Chief Engineer

1930-1956

Harry Manning White (1888-1969)

Some Manitoba structures constructed using its steel products:

Structure

Location

Built

Status

Kennedy Block

315-323 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1906

Partly destroyed by fire (1973)

Bon Accord Block

635-645 Main Street / 185 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg

1906-1907

 

Maw Garage

111 Princess Street, Winnipeg

1906-1907

 

Osler Hammond and Nanton Building

201-203 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1906-1907

Demolished (1989)

Walker Theatre

364 Smith Street, Winnipeg

1906-1907

 

St. Boniface Cathedral

190 Avenue de la Cathedrale, Winnipeg

1906-1908

 

Redwood Steel Through Truss Bridge

Red River, Winnipeg

1907-1908

 

Union Railway Station

123 Main Street, Winnipeg

1908-1911

 

McArthur Building

205-211 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1909-1910

Demolished (1988)

Canadian National Railway Main Line Bridge

Red River, Winnipeg

1910-1911

 

Boyd Building

384-392 Portage Avenue / 270 Edmonton Street, Winnipeg

1911-1912

 

Steel Through Truss Bridge

Port Nelson, Northern Manitoba

1912-1917

 

Winnipeg Electric Railway Building

213-219 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg

1912-1913

 

CPR Bergen Cutoff Bridge

Red River, Winnipeg

1913

 

Provencher Bridge

Red River, Winnipeg

1914-1918

Demolished (2001)

Steel Through Truss Bridge

Lee River, RM of Lac du Bonnet

1915

Demolished (?)

Winnipeg Hydro Showroom

55 Princess Street, Winnipeg

1919

 

St. James Steel Pony Truss Bridge

Birdtail Creek, Municipality of Prairie View

1923

 

Steel Through Truss Bridge No. 730

Assiniboine River, RM of Wallace-Woodworth

1926

 

Bryce Bakery Building

320-340 Burnell Street, Winnipeg

1929-1930

Demolished (?)

Slave Falls Generating Station

Winnipeg River, Whiteshell Provincial Park

1929-1931

 

Main Street Bridge

Red River, Winnipeg

1930-1931

Demolished (1999)

Manitoba Telephone System Building

166 Portage Avenue East, Winnipeg

1930-1932

 

Norwood Bridge

Red River, Winnipeg

1930-1931

Demolished (1999)

Steel Beam Bridge

Winnipeg River, RM of Lac du Bonnet

1930-1931

 

Christie Brown Building

1147-1155 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg

1931-1932

 

Salter Street Bridge

Salter Street, Winnipeg

1931-1932

Demolished (1984)

Winnipeg Auditorium

200 Vaughan Street, Winnipeg

1931-1932

 

Salter Street Bridge

Salter Street, Winnipeg

1934

Demolished (1984)

Bryce Bakery Building (addition)

320-340 Burnell Street, Winnipeg

1934

Demolished (?)

Bryce Bakery Building (addition)

320-340 Burnell Street, Winnipeg

1935

Demolished (?)

Dominion Post Office Building

187 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg

1935

 

St. James Bridge

Assiniboine River, Winnipeg

1935-1936

 

Selkirk Lift Bridge

Red River, Selkirk

1935-1936

 

Portage Avenue Subway / Omand’s Creek Bridge

Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1936-1937

 

Winnipeg Electric Company Harrow Substation (addition)

680 Harrow Street, Winnipeg

1937

 

Mayfair Hotel

2 Saskatchewan Avenue East, Portage la Prairie

1937-1938

Destroyed by fire (1980)

Osborne Barracks (repairs)

Tuxedo Boulevard, Winnipeg

1938

Demolished (?)

Trans-Canada Airways Hangar

Richardson International Airport, Winnipeg

1939

Demolished (?)

Manitoba Sugar Company Plant

555 Hervo Street, Winnipeg

1939-1940

 

Safeway Store

376 Salter Street, Winnipeg

1939-1940

 

Steel Through Truss Bridge

Assiniboine River, Municipality of Riverdale

1946

 

Steel Through Truss Bridge

Qu’Appelle River, RM of Ellice-Archie

1948

 

Steel Through Truss Bridge

Bowsman River, Municipality of Minitonas-Bowsman

1948

 

Baie St. Paul Steel Through Truss Bridge

Assiniboine River, RM of St. Francois Xavier

1948

 

Technical Vocational High School

1555 Wall Street, Winnipeg

1951

 

Winnipeg Arena

1430 Maroons Road, Winnipeg

1954-1955

Demolished (2006)

Midtown Bridge

Donald Street, Winnipeg

1954-1955

 

Scott Fruit Warehouse

1200 Sargent Avenue, Winnipeg

1955

 

St. Boniface General Hospital (addition)

409 avenue Taché, Winnipeg

1955

 

Winnipeg Post Office

245 Smith Street, Winnipeg

1958

 

Misericordia General Hospital (Cornish Wing)

20 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg

1957

 

Richardson Building

1 Lombard Place, Winnipeg

1966-1969

 

Army Navy and Air Force Veterans Building (addition)

279-281 Garry Street, Winnipeg

1972-1973

 

Steel Pony Truss Bridge

Shell River, Municipality of Roblin

?

 

Steel Pony Truss Bridge

Turtle River, Municipality of Ste. Rose

?

 

Steel Through Truss Bridge

Whitemouth River, RM of Whitemouth

?

 

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Dominion Bridge Plant (1500 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg)

Manitoba Business: Manitoba Bridge and Iron Works / Manitoba Bridge and Engineering Works

Sources:

“Structures under construction using Dominion Bridge Company steel exclusively,” Winnipeg Telegram, 18 September 1906, page 20.

“Superstructure tender passed,” Winnipeg Telegram, 11 December 1906, page 8.

“Making progress; steel work of new joint terminal will soon be commenced,” Winnipeg Tribune, 15 October 1908, page 4.

“Steel business in Western Canada,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 June 1909, page 19.

“Building notes,” Winnipeg Tribune, 13 November 1909, page 16.

“The Red River bridge,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 February 1910, page 1.

“Contract for new bridges,” Winnipeg Tribune, 30 April 1910, page 10.

“Build fine bridges,” Manitoba Free Press, 5 July 1910, page 20.

“Contract let for steel for Slave Falls,” Manitoba Free Press, 25 June 1929, page 9.

“Excavating is started for new bakery,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 August 1929, page 14.

“Permits for week number fifty-three,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 August 1929, page 24.

“Building permits in Winnipeg $1,000,000 ahead of last year,” Manitoba Free Press, 7 September 1929, page 34.

“Announcement - Bryce Bakeries Limited announces the completion of their new bakery building at 320 Burnell Street,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 May 1930, page 7.

“Bryce Bakeries Limited open new quarter million dollar plant,” Manitoba Free Press, 5 May 1930, page 10.

“Sub-contracts awarded for new factory,” Winnipeg Tribune, 16 May 1931, page 6.

“Progress on Winnipeg’s largest 1931 building project,” Manitoba Free Press, 27 June 1931, page 25.

“Two bridges soon ready for city traffic,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 September 1931, page 3.

“Steel contract for Salter St. Viaduct is let,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 October 1931, page 10.

“Dominion Bridge is awarded contract,” Manitoba Free Press, 20 October 1931, page 8.

“Christie, Brown & Co. Ltd., the builders,” Winnipeg Tribune, 13 February 1932, page 24.

“New Salter Street bridge marks important step in crosstown route progess,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 October 1932, page 4.

“Building notes,” Winnipeg Tribune, 6 October 1934, page 4.

“Big improvement in construction during the week,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 October 1934, page 30.

“Building notes,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 September 1935, page 9.

“Building notes,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 October 1935, page 4.

“Sub-trades to tender on hotel at Portage,” Winnipeg Tribune, 25 September 1937, page 7.

“Portage Hotel,” Winnipeg Tribune, 2 October 1937, page 7.

“New Mayfair hotel in Portage la Prairie is one of the finest in the west,” Winnipeg Tribune, 8 March 1938, page 4.

“Permits for $225,000 hotel and more,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 September 1938, page 24.

“Construction programs under way,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 June 1939, page 30.

“Structural steel for the new Safeway stores erected by the Dominion Bridge Company,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 February 1940, page 7.

“Contract approval,” Winnipeg Tribune, 24 March 1954, page 17.

“Dominion Bridge Company congratulates the St. Boniface Hospital for their latest achievement,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 May 1955, page 49.

“Fruit firm moves into new quarters,” Winnipeg Tribune, 30 April 1955, page 10.

“Structural steel for the new wing at Misercordia Hospital was fabricated and erected by the Dominion Bridge Company,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 December 1957, page 50.

“Steelwork for new Winnipeg Post Office supplied by Dominion Bridge,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 June 1958, page 17.

“Contract for the supply and install of the reinforced steel is let to the Dominion Bridge Company,” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 December 1967, page 45.

The Year Past 1981: Report of the City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, City of Winnipeg, pages 47-48.

“Dominion Bridge bankrupt,” Winnipeg Free Press, 11 September 1998, page 18.

“Workers eye buying steel plant,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 September 1998, page 31.

“Dominion Bridge plant jumps back into action,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 April 1999, page 24.

“Dominion Bridge tax sale may be city’s richest,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 December 2009, page B2.

Fame Nightclub [279 Garry Street], Winnipeg Architecture Foundation.

We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 27 May 2024