Manitoba Business: F. W. Sawatzky Construction Company / FWS Group

This company was founded at St. Boniface by Franz Wiebe “Frank” Sawatzky.

Some of its construction work in Manitoba included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Taylor Elementary School	Second Street North, Swan River	1950-1951
Androy Apartments	168 Young Street, Winnipeg	1952
Safeway Store	Corydon and Lanark, Winnipeg	1956
Deer Lodge Junior High School	1970 Ness Avenue, Winnipeg	1957
Steinbach Telephone Exchange Building	Main Street, Steinbach	1959
Crestview School	333 Morgan Crescent, Winnipeg	1962
Public School	The Pas	1963
Murdoch Mackay Collegiate	260 Redonda Street, Winnipeg	1963
Nellie McClung Collegiate	322 Carrie Street, Manitou, Municipality of Pembina	1964
Balmoral Hotel	621 Balmoral Street, Winnipeg	1965-1966
Maginot Arena	910 Maginot Street, Winnipeg	1966

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Franz Wiebe “Frank” Sawatzky (1904-1999)

Sources:

“New Safeway store opens at Corydon and Lanark,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 July 1956, page 23.

“Start school construction at The Pas,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 July 1963, page 12.

“Starting two St. Boniface arenas now,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 July 1966, page 3.

Reflections On Our Heritage: A History of Steinbach and the R.M. of Hanover From 1874 by Abe Warkentin, 1971, pages 142, 150.

We thank Nathan Kramer and Al Thorleifson for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 5 April 2025