Historic Sites of Manitoba: Maycock Block / Canadian Bank of Commerce Building (586 Main Street, Winnipeg)

This three-storey brick building at the northwest corner of Main Street and Alexander Avenue in Winnipeg, measuring 45.5 feet by 70 feet, was designed by local architect James Chisholm and built in 1885 as mixed retail and office space for merchants Edward and Annie E. Maycock, although it appears they never occupied it themselves. Instead early occupants of the building included jeweller Donald Ross Dingwall and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA).

In 1902, renovations to space on the upper floors were designed by local architect Samuel Frank Peters and built by contractor T. Ritchie to convert the upper floors into residential apartments at a cost of about $2,000.

In 1906, alterations were done to the main floor retail space designed by architectural firm Darling, Pearson and Over and built by the Claydon Brothers Construction Company at a cost of about $3,500 to divide the space for jeweller Dingwall and for a newly opened branch of the the Canadian Bank of Commerce.

In 1913, the Canadian Bank of Commerce, which now owned the building, hired architect Victor Daniel Horsburgh to convert the whole main floor to serve as a bank branch. The work was done by the construction firm of Fraser and MacDonald at a cost of about $12,000 and the building's name was changed. The bank occupied the building until the late 1970s.

Maycock Block (June 2014) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Maycock Block (January 2018) Source: George Penner Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.90183, W97.13680 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: James Chisholm (1841-1920)

Memorable Manitobans: Samuel Frank Peters (1847-1926)

Memorable Manitobans: Walter Percy Over (1874-1944)

Memorable Manitobans: Victor Daniel Horsburgh (1865-1947)

Manitoba Business: Claydon Brothers Construction Company / Claydon Construction Limited

Manitoba Business: Fraser and MacDonald

Manitoba Business: Canadian Bank of Commerce

Sources:

City of Winnipeg Building Permit 842/1902, City of Winnipeg Archives.

City of Winnipeg Building Permit 460/1906, City of Winnipeg Archives.

City of Winnipeg Building Permit 3408/1913, City of Winnipeg Archives.

Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.

Maycock Block, City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, 2004.

We thank Nathan Kramer and George Penner for providing additional information used here.

Preparation of this page was supported, in part, by the Gail Parvin Hammerquist Fund of the City of Winnipeg.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Jordan Makichuk.

Page revised: 30 April 2023

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