Historic Sites of Manitoba: Piggly Wiggly Store No. 20 (135 Osborne Street, Winnipeg)

This one-storey brick building on Osborne Street in Winnipeg, measuring 28 feet by 90 feet, was constructed in 1929 by contractor William James Lailey as a grocery for Piggly Wiggly Canadian Limited at a cost of $10,000. It opened officially on 26 October 1929.

After Safeway Stores Limited purchased Piggly Wiggly in mid-1935, the store was operated as the home for Caxton Press. The building, with a relatively unmodified exterior from its original appearance, was vacant at the time of a 2022 site visit.

The former Piggly Wiggly Store No. 20 (May 2020) Source: George Penner The former Piggly Wiggly Store No. 20 (November 2022) Source: Jordan Makichuk Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.87791, W97.14554 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: William James Lailey (1879-1951)

Manitoba Business: Piggly Wiggly Canadian Limited

Sources:

City of Winnipeg Building Permit 3993/1929, City of Winnipeg Archives.

“Permits issued,” Winnipeg Tribune, 24 August 1929, page 7.

“Piggly wiggly,” Winnipeg Tribune, 18 October 1929, page 4.

“Piggly wiggly company opens store no. 20,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 October 1929, page 29.

We thank George Penner for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 13 October 2023

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