This Winnipeg site was acquired by the Winnipeg Hydro-Electric System (later known as City Hydro, now Manitoba Hydro) from Cyrus McBean in mid-summer 1910 for $43,080. Sub-Station No. 1 was designed by the engineering firm of Smith Kerry & Chace and built between 1910 and 1911. The tender for the structure’s steel was awarded to the Manitoba Bridge and Iron Works for $12,413. Power was brought here from the Pointe du Bois Generating Station, via the Rover Avenue Electric Terminal, and stepped down from 12,000 volts to a voltage serviceable for local distribution lines. The building backed on the City Hydro Showroom on Princess Avenue.
To meet electricity demand in downtown Winnipeg, upgrades were made to the substation in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The original station had been built as a 66-4kV station with the subsequent addition of 66-12kV banks at later stages. The 12kV system was added to primarily serve the areas south of Portage Avenue towards Main Street. In the 1960s, the 125/216V secondary network was established to aid in the conversion of the downtown area from an overhead to and an underground system.
By 2017, the building was no longer suitable to meet the future demand for electricity so a new facility was constructed nearby on Adelaid Street. The original substation was decommissioned in the Fall of 2017.
Map of electrical substations in Winnipeg with Substation No. 1 in the centre (1926)
Source: The Dotted Lines (April 1926) [Manitoba Legislative Library]
Construction of Winnipeg Hydro Substation No. 1 (July 1911)
Source: Manitoba Hydro
Winnipeg Hydro Substation No. 1 (January 2017)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Winnipeg Hydro Substation No. 1 (February 2021)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89686, W97.14234
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Manitoba Business: Smith Kerry & Chace
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Pointe du Bois Generating Station (Pointe du Bois, Whiteshell Provincial Park)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Pointe du Bois Staff House (Pointe du Bois, Whiteshell Provincial Park)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Pointe du Bois Stone House (Pointe du Bois, Whiteshell Provincial Park)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Slave Falls Generating Station (Winnipeg River, Whiteshell Provincial Park)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Rover Avenue Electric Terminal (199 Annabella Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Hydro Showroom (55 Princess Street / 54 King Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Hydro Substation No. 1 (54 King Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Hydro Substation No. 2 (300 McPhillips Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: May Street Substation / Winnipeg Hydro Substation No. 3 (541 Waterfront Drive, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Hydro Substation No. 4 (811 St. Matthews Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Hydro Substation No. 5 (Scotland Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Hydro War Memorial (Winnipeg)
“Site for power station bought in heart of city,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 June 1910, page 1.
“City of Winnipeg - Electrical Distribution System - Substation No. 1,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 October 1910, page 9.
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 3080/1910, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“Tender accepted for steel work,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 January 1911, page 1.
“City of Winnipeg Electrical Distribution System - Tender for Superstructure of Sub-Station No. 1,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 February 1911, page 21.
“City of Winnipeg - Electrical Distribution System - Tenders for 500 K.W. transformers,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 May 1911, page 2.
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 2060/1911, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“City of Winnipeg - Electrical Distribution System - Tenders for oil and water systems for Sub-Station No. 1,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 August 1911, page 2.
“City of Winnipeg - Electrical Distribution System - Tenders for steam heating system for Office Sub-Station No. 1,” Winnipeg Tribune, 15 July 1911, page 5.
“Judge opens probe into city deals,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 January 1912, page 1.
“Winnipeg Electric Building Sub-Station,” Winnipeg Tribune, 15 May 1912, page 11.
We thank Bruce Owen (Manitoba Hydro) and George Penner for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 10 May 2024
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