Historic Sites of Manitoba: International Order of Good Templars Hall / Canadian Order of Foresters Hall / Redeemed Christian Church of God (635 Sargent Avenue, Winnipeg)

The International Order of Good Templars Hall on Sargent Avenue in Winnipeg was designed by local architects Samuel Hooper and Charles H. Walker, and built in 1906 by Sveinn Brynjolfsson, for a fraternal order intended to “prevent and reduce the harm caused by excessive alcohol and coffee consumption.” After a short period of sharing the building with the Canadian Order of Foresters in the late 1950s, the Templars Lodge vacated, leaving the Foresters as sole occupants until around 1999. Later used as a bingo hall, the building hosted the Redeemed Christian Church of God at the time of a 2017 site visit. In 2020, it received a Conservation Award from Heritage Winnipeg.

Icelandic Good Templars Hall (May 2015) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Icelandic Good Templars Hall (April 2017) Source: George Penner Site Location (lat/long): N49.89671, W97.16078 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Samuel Hooper (1851-1911)

Memorable Manitobans: Charles Henry Walker (1855-1927)

Memorable Manitobans: Sveinn Brynjolfsson (1856-1930)

Sources:

International Order of Good Templars Lodge (Canadian Order of Foresters Hall; Bingo World), 635 Sargent Avenue by Murray Peterson, Peterson Projects, February 2009.

We thank David Loftson for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and George Penner.

Page revised: 25 October 2023

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