Formerly located at the northwest corner of Main Street and Broadway in Winnipeg, this four-storey brick and stone block, measuring 179 feet by 124 feet, was designed by architect George Creeford Browne and built in 1902 by Philip Burnett and George Andrews Mitchell under the supervision of Edward George Sherwood, for owner Donald Alexander Smith, at a cost of about $150,000. In its original configuration, it contained 106 residential apartments. Known initially as the Strathcona Block, by 1906 it was renamed the Fort Garry Court.
The building was damaged extensively by a fire on 1 February 1976 and was subsequently demolished.
Front view of the Strathcona Block (circa 1903)
Source: An Illustrated Souvenir of Winnipeg by W. A. Martel & Sons
Rear view of the Strathcona Block (circa 1903)
Source: An Illustrated Souvenir of Winnipeg by W. A. Martel & Sons
Fort Garry Court (c1910)
Source: Winnipeg Illustrated, Peel's Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta
Postcard view of Strathcona Block (no date)
Source: Rob McInnes
Fort Garry Court was visible in the lower, left corner of this postcard, opposite the Union Station (c1920s)
Source: Rob McInnes, WP0634
Fort Garry Court (no date)
Source: Winnipeg Building Index, FGCB-50
Main Street entrance to Fort Garry Court (no date)
Source: Winnipeg Building Index, FGCB-51
Interior courtyard of Fort Garry Court (no date)
Source: Winnipeg Building Index, FGCB-58
Fort Garry Court after the fire in February 1976 (no date)
Source: Winnipeg Building Index, FGCB-57
Fort Garry Court under demolition (no date)
Source: Winnipeg Building Index, FGCB-711Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.88891, W97.13548
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: George Creeford Browne (1852-1919)
Memorable Manitobans: Philip Burnett (1848-1936)
Memorable Manitobans: George Andrews Mitchell (1857-1909)
Memorable Manitobans: Edward George Sherwood (1861-1948)
Memorable Manitobans: Donald Alexander Smith [Lord Strathcona] (1820-1914)
Some Old Winnipeg Buildings by Randy R. Rostecki
MHS Transactions, Series 3, Number 29, 1972-73 SeasonHistoric Sites of Manitoba: Abandoned Manitoba
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Strathcona Block / Ruthenian Training School (132-138 Tenth Street, Brandon)
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 422/1902, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“The contract is awarded for the big Strathcona building,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 March 1902, page 4.
“The building boom,” Manitoba Free Press, 1 April 1902, page 6.
“Building and real estate,” Manitoba Free Press, 31 May 1902, page 9.
Charles E. Goad Company fonds, Fire Insurance Plans of the City of Winnipeg - Volume 1 - Sheet 2 - revised August 1906, Library and Archives Canada.
“3 die, 5 missing in downtown apartment blaze,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 February 1976, page 1.
Fort Garry Court, Winnipeg Building Index.
Preparation of this page was supported, in part, by the Gail Parvin Hammerquist Fund of the City of Winnipeg.
We thank Rob McInnes for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough, Nathan Kramer, and Jordan Makichuk.
Page revised: 9 December 2024
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
