Manitoba Business: Saul and Irish Construction Company / W. A. Irish and Company

This construction company was founded by brothers-in-law John Alexander Saul and William Arthur Irish. It operated at Carberry and Virden before relocating to Winnipeg. Renamed W. A. Irish and Company after Saul's withdrawal around 1933, the company ceased operations in the late 1970s.

Some of its construction works in Manitoba included:

Building

Location

Year

Status

Blue Ribbon Building (Anne Building)

87 King Street (88 Arthur Street), Winnipeg

1901

 

Parkhill House

182 Spence Street, Winnipeg

1904

 

Ideal Bedding Building

288 Princess Street, Winnipeg

1904

Demolished (2017)

Bell Block

370 Donald Street, Winnipeg

1905

 

Ivanhoe Court

277 Balmoral Street, Winnipeg

1909

 

Linda Vista Apartments / Birchmont Apartments

171 Vaughan Street, Winnipeg

1910

Demolished (?)

Carlyle Apartments

580 Broadway, Winnipeg

1911

 

Eugene Apartments

834 Grosvenor Avenue, Winnipeg

1914

 

Enderton Building (restoration)

334 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1918

Demolished (1969)

Gem Café

357 Broadway, Winnipeg

1920

Demolished (?)

McArthur Building (renovations)

205-211 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1921

Demolished (1988)

Baroni Cafe (renovations)

307-311 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1923

Demolished (2012)

Albert Business Block (addition)

38-44 Albert Street, Winnipeg

1924

Destroyed by fire (19 April 2012)

Rose Theatre

799-801 Sargent Avenue, Winnipeg

1926

 

Plaza Theatre

104-106 Marion Street, Winnipeg

1926

Demolished (?)

Forlong House

295 Dromore Avenue, Winnipeg

1928

 

Parkleigh Apartments

265 Morley Avenue, Winnipeg

1928

 

Woolworth Store (alterations)

400 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1928

Demolished (?)

Beaver Soap and Chemical Factory (addition)

1377 Winnipeg Avenue West, Winnipeg

1929

Demolished (?)

Guy House

207 Lamont Boulevard, Winnipeg

1929

 

McKerchar Block (alterations)

600-602 Main Street, Winnipeg

1929

 

Peck Building (alterations)

33 Princess Street, Winnipeg

1929

 

Spera House (move)

2 Middle Gate, Winnipeg

1929

 

Safeway Store No. 506

595 Broadway, Winnipeg

1929

 

Safeway Store No. 507

893 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1929

 

Safeway Store No. 509

1333 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1929

 

Safeway Store No. 511

785 Sargent Avenue, Winnipeg

1929

Demolished (?)

Safeway Store No. 513

577 Sargent Avenue, Winnipeg

1929

 

Safeway Store No. 523

1411 Main Street, Winnipeg

1929

 

McRae and Griffith Garage and Auto Sales Building

Hargrave Street, Winnipeg

1929-1930

Demolished (?)

Clarendon Block (renovations)

307-311 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1930

Demolished (2012)

National Theatre (demolition)

300 Fort Street, Winnipeg

1930

Demolished (1930)

Scarsdale Apartments

71 Kennedy Street, Winnipeg

1930

 

Enderton Building (repairs)

334 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1932

Demolished (1969)

Bell Hotel (alterations)

662-664 Main Street, Winnipeg

1935

 

Parkhill Bedding Warehouse (addition)

1270 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg

1935

 

Rubidge Block (renovations)

336-338 Colony Street, Winnipeg

1935

Demolished (?)

Enderton Building (renovations)

334 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1936

Demolished (1969)

Parkhill Bedding Warehouse (addition)

1270 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg

1936

 

Gowans Kent Building (alterations)

166-168 Market Avenue, Winnipeg

1937

Demolished (?)

Winnipeg General Hospital (addition)

Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg

1937

 

Enderton Building (renovations)

334 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1938

Demolished (1969)

Hudson’s Bay Company Wholesale Building (alterations)

77 Main Street, Winnipeg

1938

 

Metropolitan Store

360 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

1941-1942

Demolished (?)

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: John Alexander Saul (1861-1939)

Memorable Manitobans: William Arthur Irish (1872-1941)

Sources:

“Will rebuild Enderton Block,” Manitoba Free Press, 1 June 1918, page 5.

“Insured by fall,” Manitoba Free Press, 14 August 1918, page 5.

“Permits are light [Gem Cafe],” Manitoba Free Press, 1 May 1920, page 7.

“Beautiful residence on Dromore Street,” Manitoba Free Press, 12 May 1928, page 36.

“Large factory and other big jobs this week,” Winnipeg Tribune, 1 September 1928, page 11.

“Safeway stores receive four building permits,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 July 1929, page 3.

“Construction work in Winnipeg,” Manitoba Free Press, 17 August 1929, page 34.

“Whereabouts of Irish and Forlong unknown,” Manitoba Free Press, 25 February 1930, page 17.

“Fifty thousand in permits in first week of season,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 January 1932, page 11.

“Construction in Winnipeg quite; no new houses,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 June 1935, page 30.

“Construction in Winnipeg quiet; no new houses,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 February 1936, page 22.

“Bedding Company to enlarge plant here,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 February 1936, page 2.

“Building permits well below those of one year ago,” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 March 1936, page 7.

“Building permits to value of $12,150 issued this year,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 January 1937, page 9.

“Hospital addition,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 February 1937, page 9.

“Splendid advance in construction work in Winnipeg,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 April 1937, page 30.

“Building permits ahead of 1937; many new homes,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 April 1938, page 14.

We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 4 September 2024