This one-storey brick building on Corydon Avenue in Winnipeg was designed by Calgary-based architect Reginald Edwardes McDonnell (1887-1963) and built in 1919 as a branch of the Merchants Bank of Canada. Absorbed by the Bank of Montreal in 1921, it operated as a branch of that bank until closing in 1945. It was the home of R. Santa Furs through much of the mid-20th century, becoming a restaurant around 2004.
Merchants Bank Building (January 2020)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.86928, W97.15719
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Manitoba Business: Merchants Bank of Canada
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
Obituary [Rudolf Santa], Winnipeg Free Press, 19 March 1979, page 61.
Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950 by Robert G. Hill, Toronto.
This page was prepared by George Penner, Gordon Goldsborough, and Jordan Makichuk.
Page revised: 1 April 2022
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!
