Historic Sites of Manitoba: Travellers’ Block (283 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg)

The Travellers Block was erected on Bannatyne Avenue in 1907 as headquarters for the North West Commercial Travellers’ Association. Architects Darling and Pearson provided many amenities such as meeting rooms, lounges, and even a Turkish bath in this municipally-designated historic site. A plaque is mounted on the southeast corner of the building.

On 13 January 1917, an honour roll for the Winnipeg Typographical Union was unveiled by Salem Goldworth Bland at a patriotic concert held in the Travellers’ Block. It identified 75 members of the local union who had enlisted for military service in the First World War, some of whom were killed.

Travellers’ Block (September 2015) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Travellers’ Block (August 2020) Source: George Penner Travellers’ Block commemorative plaque (2009) Source: City of Winnipeg Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89835, W97.14112 denoted by symbol on the map above

War Casualities in Winnipeg Typographical Union Members

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Maxwell Frederick William Drennan [Next of Kin, St. Matthew's Anglican]	Printer	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lance Sergeant	25 September 1892	10 November 1917
John Thomas Evans [Next of Kin, Vimy Ridge]	Printer	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	19 July 1879	31 March 1917
Percy Ogilvie Fowler [Next of Kin]	Printer	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	11 January 1890	14 November 1921
Roy Fowler [Next of Kin, Vimy Ridge]	Printer	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	26 April 1892	3 February 1917
Frederick Kennedy [Next of Kin]	Printer	10th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	12 March 1890	22 April 1915
Daniel Joseph Madden	Printer (Winnipeg Telegram)	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	29 January 1886	29 March 1917
James Masterton [Brandon Armoury, Kildonan Presbyterian, Next of Kin]	Printer	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Company Quarter Master Sergeant	27 January 1873	9 April 1917
James Harvey Montgomery [Virden]	Printer	28th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	4 June 1890	4 January 1916
Douglas Robert Whyte [Next of Kin]	Printer	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	6 February 1891	14 June 1916
Josiah Wilkinson [Next of Kin]	Printer	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	1 November 1879	12 April 1917

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Inglis Building / North West Commercial Travellers’ Association Building (291 Garry Street, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites

Sources:

“Dr. Bland Unveils Printers’ Honor Roll,” Winnipeg Tribune, 15 January 1917, page 11.

“3 Winnipeg Printers Named in Honor Roll,” Winnipeg Tribune, 2 May 1917, page 5.

Travellers Building (283 Bannatyne Avenue), City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, 1979.

Information for this page was provided by The City of Winnipeg’s Planning, Property and Development Department, which acknowledges the contribution of the Government of Manitoba through its Heritage Grants Program.

We thank Darryl Toews and George Penner for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 24 April 2022

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