Planning of a new building for St. John’s College at this site, a four-acre lot on the west side of Main Street at Church Avenue in Winnipeg, began in 1882. An architectural plan from 1883, by local architect brothers Charles A. Barber and Earle W. Barber, shows a grandiose structure patterned on English colleges; ultimately, only a more modest portion of it was ever built. The 3½-storey brick building—made of bricks manufactured by a nearby brickyard which rented space from the college and paid a portion of its rent in bricks—was completed in 1884 at a cost of some $55,000. It had several classrooms as well as residential space for 20 students. In mid-1945, the college moved to a more central location in downtown Winnipeg and the building was demolished in 1950.
Among the teachers of St. John’s College was Joseph Cooper Iliffe (1913-1937).
Sketch of the St. John’s College (circa 1889)
Source: Souvenir of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Toronto News Company, 1889.
Postcard view of St. John’s College (date unknown)
Source: Rob McInnes, WP0896Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.92200, W97.12840
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: St. John’s College Annex / Church Block (259 Church Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: St. John the Evangelist Chapel (92 Dysart Road, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba College / St. Paul’s College (Ellice Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Wesley College / University of Winnipeg (505 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg)
Manitoba Organization: St. John’s College
MHS Centennial Organization: University of Manitoba
St. John’s College: Faith and Education in Western Canada by J. M. Bumsted, University of Manitoba Press, 2006.
Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950 by Robert G. Hill, Toronto.
We thank Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 5 September 2021
Historic Sites of Manitoba
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