Formerly located at the northeast corner of Main Street and Portage Avenue East in Winnipeg, a one-storey frame and stucco building was built in 1934 by the construction firm of John Gunn and Sons at a cost of about $10,000. It was intended as a service station for the McColl-Frontenac Oil Company to sell the firm’s Red Indian brand gasoline. The building originally had two service bays and four gasoline pumps.
On 25 September 1944, the building was relocated to 804 Ellice Avenue and was demolished in 1964. The original site sat empty from 1944 until the 1960s when construction began on the Richardson Building.
Red Indian Service Station at the corner of Portage and Main (1934)
Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 28 June 1934, page 5.Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89573, W97.13812
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Manitoba Business: John Gunn and Sons
Manitoba Business: McColl-Frontenac Oil Company / Texaco Canada Limited
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Richardson Building (1 Lombard Place, Winnipeg)
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 242/1934, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“Building permits,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 April 1934, page 6.
“Finest service station in Winnipeg to open at city’s busiest corner,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 June 1934, page 5.
“City's finest service station at city's busiest corner,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 June 1934, page 5.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
“Filling station moves from abode of 10 years,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 September 1944, page 11.
“Landmark crosses city,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 September 1944, page 17.
“804 Ellice Avenue - Service Station / Ellice Buy and Sell” by Christian Cassidy, Winnipeg Places, 9 September 2021.
This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk.
Page revised: 15 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!
