This 2½-storey frame building on Agnes Street in Winnipeg, measuring 32 feet by 38 feet, was designed and built in 1905 by Icelandic immigrant Swain Swainson at a cost of about $5,000.
Swain, who was born in Iceland on 4 January 1867, married Ovida Joelsdottir (1870-1949) and had three children: John Swainson ([1881/1891?]-?), Joel Theodore Swainson (1899-1923), and Ida Dorothea [Dorothy] Swainson ([1901/1903?]-?). They moved to Canada in 1899, settled at Winnipeg, and both he and Ovida worked as tailors (1901) for the Toronto-based Crown Tailoring Company from their residence (1906). By the latter part of 1906, they were renting out furnished rooms within their home. In 1908, they moved down the street to 572 Agnes Street before relocating to 773 Simcoe Street (1911). Following Ovida's death, he left the family residence at 605 Sargent Avenue and moved to the Betel Old Folks Home at Gimli. He died at Gimli on 17 August 1955 and was buried in the Brookside Cemetery.
After the Swainsons moved out of 438 Agnes, the premises was used by the Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA) as a boarding house for girls. It opened in August 1908 under the charge of Miss Stella McMillan and operated into 1909. In June 1909, the structure was advertised by the Boulton-Smith Land Company as a 20-room, 14-bed facility. It was later used as a Children's Home (c1911) and a residence for Edward T. Hammond (c1913) and Mrs. K. Mountford (c1914).
Following a period of vacancy during the First World War, it was converted into a six-suite rental apartment, with occupancy by 1916. The Kendalton Apartments name was adopted around spring 1924. In December 2007, the six-apartment block suffered $200,000 in fire damage with a further $100,000 loss of contents and property. Repairs were made and the apartment count increased to eight.
Kendalton Apartments (November 2020)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89224, W97.16226
denoted by symbol on the map above
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 2553/1905, City of Winnipeg Archives.
1901 and 1911 Canada censuses, Automated Genealogy.
Birth [Joel Theodore Swainson, Ida Dorothy Swainson] and death registration [Joel Theodore Swainson, Ovida Swainson], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“[For quick sale - Dairy],” Manitoba Free Press, 6 September 1906, page 15.
“Crown Tailoring Company,” Heimskringla, 15 March 1906, page 3.
“Crown Tailoring Company,” Heimskringla, 22 March 1906, page 3.
“Matur er mannsins megin,” Heimskringla, 24 October 1906, page 4.
“Matur er mannsins megin,” Heimskringla, 20 February 1908, page 4.
“Winnipeg Woman's work,” Manitoba Free Press, 1 August 1908, page 7.
“YWCA Boarding Homes,” Manitoba Free Press, 1 December 1908, page 13.
“To let,” Manitoba Free Press, 12 June 1909, page 2.
“2 and 3-room suites to let [...],” Manitoba Free Press, 25 April 1924, page 22.
“Kenalton Blk 438 Agnes St,” Manitoba Free Press, 19 September 1924, page 21.
“Kentalton Apts,” Manitoba Free Press, 2 October 1924, page 22.
“Kentalton Apts,” Manitoba Free Press, 11 October 1924, page 36.
“Kendalton Apts,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 October 1934, page 22.
Obituary [Mrs. Swain Swainson], Winnipeg Free Press, 11 March 1949, page 11.
Obituary [Swain Swainson], Winnipeg Free Press, 19 August 1955, page 21.
Death notice [Swain Swainson], Winnipeg Free Press, 20 August 1955, page 11.
Obituary [Swain Swainson], Heimskringla, 24 August 1955, page 4.
“Apartment fire injures 2,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 December 2007, page B2.
Brookside Cemetery burial transcriptions, City of Winnipeg.
Find a Postal Code, Canada Post.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
Preparation of this page was supported, in part, by the Gail Parvin Hammerquist Fund of the City of Winnipeg.
We thank George Penner and Gordon Goldsborough for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 8 July 2022
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