Architect.
Born at Odessa, Russia in 1873, where he received architectural training, he emigrated to Canada in 1904 and was among the first Jewish architects to register and practise. He married Laika “Lena” Golden (1881-1959) and they had seven children: Sarah Blankstein (1902-?), Isaac Wolfe Blankstein (1904-1990), Cecil Blankstein, Eva Blankstein, Evelyn Blankstein, Morley Blankstein, and Fred “Ingy” Blankstein (1921-2018), three of whom became architects. He died at his Winnipeg home, 131 Machray Avenue, on 31 December 1931 and was buried in the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery.
The holdings of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada include drawings by Blankstein of one of Winnipeg’s most iconic buildings, the Uptown Theatre.
Some of his architectural works in Manitoba:
Building |
Location |
Year |
Status |
Aikins Court |
167 Aikins Street, Winnipeg |
1907 |
|
Queen’s Theatre (renovation) |
239 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg |
1908-1909 |
|
Minuk Block |
254-260 Dufferin Avenue, Winnipeg |
1909 |
Demolished (?) |
Glesby Stables |
468 Aberdeen Avenue, Winnipeg |
1910 |
|
Chechik, Gold and Kernham Cold Storage Warehouse |
422 Jarvis Avenue, Winnipeg |
1910 |
|
Northern Block |
94 McGregor Street, Winnipeg |
1910 |
Demolished (?) |
Budnik Block |
594-600 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg |
1911 |
|
Continental Block |
796 Main Street, Winnipeg |
1911 |
|
Palace Theatre |
501 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg |
1912 |
|
Winnipeg Hebrew Free School (Talmud Torah) |
121 Charles Street, Winnipeg |
1912 |
|
Brandon Court |
377 Brandon Avenue, Winnipeg |
1912 |
|
Alekno Block |
376 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg |
1913 |
|
Steiman Block |
541 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg |
1913 |
|
Talbot Block |
250 Talbot Avenue, Winnipeg |
1913 |
|
Zimmerman Block |
669 Main Street, Winnipeg |
1913 |
|
Alekno Block (renovations) |
376 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg |
1914 |
|
Cressy Block |
426-428 Manitoba Avenue, Winnipeg |
1914 |
Demolished (?) |
Diner Block |
184 Henry Avenue, Winnipeg |
1914 |
Demolished (?) |
European Block |
588 Manitoba Avenue, Winnipeg |
1914 |
|
Jessie Block |
626 Jessie Avenue, Winnipeg |
1914-1917 |
|
Kepman Apartments |
640 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg |
1914 |
|
North Panama Apartments |
229 Machray Avenue, Winnipeg |
1914 |
|
Rubin Block |
270 Morley Avenue, Winnipeg |
1914 |
|
North End Mennonite Brethren Church |
533 Burrows Avenue, Winnipeg |
1917 |
|
Globe Bedding Company Warehouse |
274 Jarvis Avenue, Winnipeg |
1918 |
|
Budnik Block (addition) |
594-600 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg |
1920 |
|
New Hargrave Building |
361 Hargrave Street, Winnipeg |
1922 |
|
Blankstein House |
131 Machray Avenue, Winnipeg |
1922 |
|
Hebrew Free School |
220 Andrews Street, Winnipeg |
1923 |
|
Budnik Block (addition) |
594-600 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg |
1924 |
|
Mindell Block |
607-609 Main Street, Winnipeg |
1925 |
|
Alekno Block (renovations) |
376 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg |
1926 |
|
Rose Theatre |
801 Sargent Avenue, Winnipeg |
1926 |
|
Tivoli Theatre |
115 Maryland Street, Winnipeg |
1927 |
|
Tory’s Academy Auto Service Garage |
155 Fort Street, Winnipeg |
1928 |
|
Lido Theatre |
220 Edwards Avenue, The Pas |
1928-1929 |
|
Roxy Theatre |
385 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg |
1929 |
|
Uptown Theatre |
394 Academy Road, Winnipeg |
1930-1931 |
|
Sources:
1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
1921 Canada census, Ancestry.
“Winnipeg’s new Uptown Theatre will open this evening,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 December 1931, page 16.
“M. Z. Blankstein, architect, dies early this morning,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1931, page 1.
Winnipeg Building Index (University of Manitoba).
Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950.
Obituary [Lena Blankstein], Winnipeg Free Press, 16 April 1959, page 47.
Obituary [Isaac Wolfe Blankstein], Winnipeg Free Press, 24 December 1990, page 62.
Obituary [Ida Blankstein], Winnipeg Free Press, 13 August 2003, page 47.
Obituary [Morley Blankstein], Winnipeg Free Press, 20 June 2015, page A30.
Obituary [Fred Blankstein], Winnipeg Free Press, 21 July 2018.
We thank August Rivalin, Murray Peterson, and Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 19 July 2022
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