Historic Sites of Manitoba: Salisbury House Restaurant (521 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg)

This site at the northwest corner of Portage Avenue and Spence Street in Winnipeg was formerly occupied by a Salisbury House restaurant, built around 1932 at 254 Kennedy Street by contractor John Richard Williams with assistance from carpenter Stephen H. “Steve” Juba. The building was moved to Portage Avenue in mid-1940 and it operated until being removed in September 1964. Used as a parking lot for CBC employees into the 1990s, an expansion of the adjacent CBC Building in 1998 took over the entire area.

Salisbury House Restaurant at Portage and Spence (no date) Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 21 September 1964, page 4. Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89000, W97.15428 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: John Richard Williams (1878-1939)

Manitoba Business: Salisbury House

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Leonard and McLaughlin Garage and Auto Sales Building / CBC Building (541-543 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg)

Sources:

“Own back yard,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 May 1940, page 16.

“We regret to announce ...,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 September 1964, page 4.

The Erwin Story by Patrick Donohue, compiled by Phyllis Erwin Ketchesen, edited by David M. Ferguson, Toronto, 1982, page 123.

We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Bruce Ladan.

Page revised: 16 September 2025

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