Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Electric Railway Building (213-219 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg)

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Photos & Coordinates | Sources

This eleven-storey brick, steel, and terra cotta building at the northeast corner of Notre Dame Avenue and Albert Street in Winnipeg, measuring 80 feet by 100 feet, was designed by the local architectural firm of Pratt and Ross. It was built between 1912 and 1913, using structural steel provided by Dominion Bridge, by the construction firm of Carter-Halls-Aldinger for the Winnipeg Electric Railway Company at a cost of about $800,000.

The company occupied its basement and first two floors but, by 1944, had expanded into about half of the space. In 1953, the provincial government purchased the firm’s plants, distribution facilities, and bus system on behalf of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board. The Board used this building as its corporate headquarters until 1963.

In July 1917, the company published an honour roll listing its employees who had enlisted in the First World War as of 31 March 1917. Five hundred bound copies of a booklet (available at Peel's Prairie Provinces digital collection at the University of Alberta) were produced and made available to the public for free. The honour roll identified each employee's occupation or work area with the company. Most entries also included the employee's rank and battalion. Twenty-eight employees were identified as having been killed or died of wounds. Additional research has identified more than 60 additional employees listed in the document were also killed in the war. The majority of these employees were killed after 31 March 1917.

The building is a municipally-designated historic site.

Photos & Coordinates

Electric Railway Building (June 2011) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Richly detailed terra cotta on the Electric Railway Building (July 2015) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Electric Railway Building (November 2021) Source: George Penner Terra cotta detail of the Electric Railway Building (July 2024) Source: Greg Petzold Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89556, W97.14055 denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War Casualties

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Robert Adam	Motorman	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Company Sergeant Major	10 April 1891	9 August 1918
David Lowson Adamson [Next of Kin, St. James Presbyterian]	Steamfitter	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	11 July 1881	10 October 1917
George Aitkens [Next of Kin]	Railway Conductor	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	13 December 1893	23 April 1915
John Anderson	Labourer	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	3 June 1877	13 April 1916
Louis Henry Anderson	Clerk	31st Battalion Canadian Infantry	Private	25 December 1887	3 May 1917
Edwin Vere Ball [Next of Kin]	Motorman	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	26 August 1879	9 April 1917
Thomas John Barr	Motorman	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	22 August 1882	9 July 1916
Leonard Richard Bartlett	Motorman	3rd Divisional Ammunition Column, Canadian Field Artillery	Driver	11 November 1891	22 February 1917
Joseph William Bell [Next of Kin, St. Matthew's Anglican]	Laborer	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	9 April 1884	27 September 1918
Fred Birchenall [Next of Kin]	Street Railway Conductor	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	8 December 1883	8 October 1916
Thomas Broadfoot [Woodlands]	Labourer	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	10 May 1880	16 March 1918
Dougal Cameron	Car Repairer	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lance Corporal	24 June 1892	1 June 1918
Alexander Campbell	Car Conductor	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	27 September 1877	20 April 1916
George Francis Causey	Upholsterer	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	22 September 1880	6 July 1917
Bennett Greet Collins	Street Railway Conductor	1st Company, Canadian Machine Gun Corps	Private	1 April 1892	13 November 1917
Alexander Cooper [Killarney, Next of Kin]	Conductor	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	15 December 1891	24 July 1917
William Arthur James Copsey	Motorman	85th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	4 June 1891	30 October 1917
John Cowie	Motorman	25th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	13 January 1887	9 August 1918
Michael Cullen	Gas Worker	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	6 May 1873	24 May 1916
Albert Darby	Groom	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	23 June 1880	24 December 1918
William G. Davidson	Car Conductor	2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, British Army	Lance Corporal	1881	1 April 1915
Charles Robert Dayton [Next of Kin]	Motorman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	2 September 1890	27 June 1917
Thomas De Courcy	Street Car Conductor	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1 May 1891	25 April 1915
Bert Dean	Motorman	1st Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps	Private	9 June 1890	4 September 1916
John Donald	Conductor	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	10 April 1892	13 May 1916
William Donald	Motorman	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	4 August 1885	23 April 1915
George Horace Dow [Next of Kin, St. Matthew's Anglican]	Gas Fitter	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	5 October 1897	26 September 1916
Thomas Hunter Fyfe [Next of Kin]	Wire Weaver	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	16 July 1890	9 April 1917
Albert Edward Galbraith [Miami]	Steam Engineer	7th Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps	Private	16 May 1890	18 September 1916
George Gooderham [Next of Kin]	Gas-fitter	19th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	31 October 1894	4 September 1916
Robert Stewart Gordon [Next of Kin]	Labourer	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	23 April 1888	14 February 1918
William John James Gordon [Next of Kin]	Street Car Conductor	78th Battalion Canadian Infantry	Private	13 September 1895	30 October 1917
Philip Adolphus Hall [Next of Kin]	Elevator Man	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	27 April 1876	14 October 1916
Wilfred Edwin Ham [Holy Trinity, Next of Kin, St. Matthew's Anglican]	Street Car Conductor	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	8 January 1893	14 June 1916
John James Harbison [Next of Kin]	Street Car Conductor	Royal Army Medical Corps	Private	26 December 1898	14 July 1916
Duke Harrison [Next of Kin]	Motorman	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	25 January 1884	14 October 1916
John Haylor	Conductor	6th Battalion, Canadian Field Artillery	Driver	21 November 1884	4 September 1918
John Herbert	Conductor	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lance Corporal	21 January 1889	8 October 1916
George Stewart Hitch	Motorman	5th Battalion, Royal Air Force	Lieutenant	25 September 1892	9 November 1918
Harry Hicks Hodgson [Next of Kin]	Motorman	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	12 June 1885	16 September 1918
John Hollingworth [St. Philip’s Anglican]	Car Repairer	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	21 June 1892	8 October 1916
Bernard Henry Hudson [Next of Kin]	Motorman	1st Company, Canadian Machine Gun Corps	Private	14 July 1882	12 April 1917
Albert Hughes [Next of Kin]	Labour	10th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	17 May 1894	22 April 1915
James Humphreys [St. John's Anglican]	Gas-stoker	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	7 August 1880	10 April 1917
Allen Grannis Ingalls [Next of Kin, St. Matthew's Anglican]	Electrician	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	29 January 1893	16 April 1915
Thomas James Kearney	Motorman	5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	18 February 1888	28 April 1917
James Kilgour	Street Railway Employee	Lord Strathcona's Horse	Private	8 November 1885	1 December 1917
Alexander Sutherland King	Labourer	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	28 March 1894	20 November 1915
Albert Jeffery Kirk	Conductor	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	6 September 1887	26 July 1916
Edward Lane	Gas Works	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1 July 1892	26 September 1916
James Albert Laws	Car Motorman	52nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	11 June 1885	1 April 1918
Henry Louis Loaring	Conductor	2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	31 August 1888	9 April 1917
Murray Alvin Matthews	Motorman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	3 November 1887	3 June 1919
Peter McBeth [Next of Kin]	Street Car Conductor	12th Field Ambulance, Canadian Army Medical Corps	Private	7 February 1882	3 September 1918
A. McDonald	?	90th Battalion	?	?	?
Alexander John McDonald	Street Car Conductor	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	5 May 1885	6 September 1916
Peter McDougall	Car Repairer	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	6 August 1894	25 May 1917
William McIntosh	Motorman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	21 February 1884	11 April 1918
John McLaughlin [Next of Kin]	Farmer	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	18 December 1890	17 October 1916
Patrick A. McManus	Motorman	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	31 November 1894	19 May 1915
George Alexander Mendham	Gas Stoker	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	29 June 1872	25 September 1916
Arthur Miller	Conductor Street Car	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	14 April 1880	9 August 1918
George Milne	Conductor	3rd Battalion, Canadian Engineers	Sergeant	8 October 1894	20 July 1918
Benjamin Moir [St. Giles]	Blacksmith	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	28 November 1889	23 April 1915
Thomas Moody	Street Car Conductor	15th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	4 May 1893	7 October 1916
Alfred Ernest Morison [Roland, Sperling]	Conductor	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	26 February 1891	9 April 1917
William Murison [Next of Kin, St. John's Anglican]	Car Conductor	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	11 November 1891	24 June 1917
Archibald Murray	Engineer	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	28 May 1886	26 October 1917
George Newsome Murray [St. John's Anglican]	Cashier	Canadian Field Artillery	Bombardier	2 September 1895	28 August 1918
Albert Nelson [Next of Kin]	Timekeeper	The Fort Garry Horse	Trooper	4 November 1895	20 February 1919
William Lewis Nelson	Conductor	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	8 September 1889	29 October 1917
John Porterfield [Next of Kin]	Farmer & Motorman	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	7 December 1883	11 October 1918
John Howard "Jack" Pounds	Conductor	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	20 January 1892	13 September 1916
Frank Radclyffe [Next of Kin]	Motorman	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	6 March 1886	11 April 1917
William Fleming Rae [Next of Kin]	Car Repairer	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	30 December 1892	28 April 1917
Lancelot Rennison	Electrician	3rd Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery	Lieutenant	22 January 1893	27 September 1918
William George Roulston	Conductor	10th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	29 September 1890	22 June 1915
William James Scott	Farmer	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	12 May 1885	15 September 1916
George Gordon Shields	Street Railway Motorman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	3 April 1881	6 October 1916
West Shuttleworth [108 Battalion, Next of Kin]	Gas Maker	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	24 October 1878	1 November 1917
William Wallace Small [Next of Kin]	Locomotive Fireman	12th Field Ambulance, Canadian Army Medical Corps	Private	25 August 1894	22 October 1916
Alexander Duguid Smith	Motorman	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	31 December 1893	12 November 1917
Frederick Stanley Smith	Electrician	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	19 November 1888	13 April 1915
William Smith MM [Next of Kin]	Street Car Conductor	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	20 November 1891	16 August 1918
C. Stanton	?	?	?	?	?
Herbert Stanley Swan [Austin, Holy Trinity, Next of Kin, St. Philips]	Electrician	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	3 November 1891	25 November 1916
William Walkling DCM [Next of Kin, St. Albans Anglican]	Engineer Fitter	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	2 November 1894	28 August 1918
Thomas William Walton	Conductor, Street Railway	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	26 March 1892	4 August 1916
Frank Mortimer Webb	Tinsmith	5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	18 August 1894	26 September 1916
Jack Warren Wells	Car Cleaner	10th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	1895	28 April 1917
William Charles Winters	Conductor	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Staff Sergeant	7 May 1886	2 March 1919
Edward Harry Woods	Shoemaker	Canadian Army Medical Corps	Private	28 February 1887	10 April 1916
John Calvin Wright [Next of Kin]	Conductor Street Railway	54th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	17 August 1895	1 March 1917

 

See also:

Manitoba Business: Pratt and Ross

Manitoba Business: Dominion Bridge Company

Manitoba Business: Carter-Halls-Aldinger / Commonwealth Construction Company

Manitoba Business: Winnipeg Electric Railway Company / Winnipeg Electric Company

Manitoba Business: Manitoba Power Commission / Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board / Winnipeg Hydro / Manitoba Hydro

Manitoba Business: Winnipeg Electric Railway Company / Winnipeg Electric Company

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites

Sources:

City of Winnipeg Building Permit 2606/1912, City of Winnipeg Archives.

“Basement work is now about finished,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 September 1912, page 1.

“Work progressing rapidly on new Street Railway Building,” Manitoba Free Press, 9 November 1912, page 13.

“Builders and contractors of the new Winnipeg Electric Street Railway Building,” Winnipeg Tribune, 15 March 1913, page 21.

“Hundreds of street car crews went overseas to fight for Winnipeg,” Manitoba Free Press, 23 July 1917, page 2.

Winnipeg fire insurance map, #201 May 1956, City of Winnipeg Archives.

Electric Railway Chambers (213 Notre Dame Avenue), City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, April 1981.

We thank George Penner, Jordan Makichuk, and Greg Petzold for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Darryl Toews.

Page revised: 7 September 2024

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