This six-storey brick warehouse in the commercial district east of Main Street, at the intersection of Rorie Street and McDermot Avenue, in Winnipeg was the home for many years of the Galpern candy factory. Designed by local architect John Hamilton Gordon Russell, it was built in 1906 by masonry contractors Thomas Cooper Hindson and William James Davidson (1879-1969), assisted by carpenters McCombe and McKay, painter Crawford, and metal worker John Wallace.
The building was occupied originally by James Porter and Company, which specialized in the importation and sales of crockery and china. The company folded in 1943, after which the building was shared between Galpern and Sanford Evans & Company. The latter company, which specialized in research, statistics, and controlled direct mail, had begun operations in the 1920s in the neighboring Dawson Richardson Building.
The building, a municipally-designated historic site, was renovated into residential apartments in 2018, for which it received a Preservation Award from Heritage Winnipeg in 2019.
Porter Building / Galpern Building (April 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Porter Building / Galpern Building (May 2017)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89708, W97.13704
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: John Hamilton Gordon Russell (1863-1946)
Memorable Manitobans: Thomas Cooper Hindson (1852-1934)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Dawson Richardson Building (171 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites
“For Porter & Company,” Manitoba Free Press, 12 May 1906, page 12.
165 McDermot Avenue - Galpern Building, City of Winnipeg Historic Buildings Committee, January 1985.
We thank George Penner for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 2 June 2022
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