Formerly located at the northwest corner of Fort Street and Graham Avenue in Winnipeg, a three-storey red brick and building, measuring 100.5 feet by 120.10 feet, was built between mid-1920 and early 1921 by the construction firm of Hazelton and Walin. It was built for proprietors Aime Benard and F. LaFleche, at a cost of about $150,000, as a sales and service building for Dominion Motors, said at the time to be “Canada’s Largest Ford Dealership”.
In its original configuration, the building's main floor had showroom space for Ford automobiles (and later also Lincoln automobiles) with display windows along Graham and Fort streets. An auto repair shop was at the rear of the main floor while the upper two floors contained extra showroom space and company offices.
The business was later owned by Horace Everett. He passed it on to his son, businessman and Senator Douglas Donald Everett who, in 1958, founded the Domo Gasoline Corporation to operate two automotive service stations as a division of the company.
The building has been demolished and the site is now occupied by a surface parking lot.
Dominion Motors Garage and Auto Sales Building (1930)
Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 31 May 1930, page 28.Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89314, W97.13904
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Manitoba Business: Hazelton and Walin [Hazleton and Walin]
Memorable Manitobans: Aime Benard (1873-1938)
Memorable Manitobans: Horace Everett (1893-1977)
Memorable Manitobans: Douglas Donald Everett (1927-2018)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Canadian News Building / Kummen Building / Domo Block (268-270 Fort Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: British American Service Station / Domo Service Station (Graham Avenue, Winnipeg)
Manitoba Business: Domo Gasoline Corporation
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 1560/1920, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“Building permits great increase,” Manitoba Free Press, 30 July 1920, page 5.
“Dominion Motor Co. In beautiful new $150,000 home,” Winnipeg Tribune, 12 February 1921, page 28.
“Headquarters for Ford retail distribution,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 May 1930, page 28.
Winnipeg fire insurance map, #106 December 1955, City of Winnipeg Archives.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
Our History, Domo Corporation Limited.
This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk.
Page revised: 18 December 2024
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