A two-storey fieldstone masonry building at the northwest intersection of Main Street and Front Avenue in Melita was built in 1899 by contractor John James “Jack” Morrow for hardware merchants Thomas Dickson Sturgeon and P. Powell. The building had two commercial spaces on the main floor and a hall on the second floor, known as Sturgeon Hall.
Sturgeon and Powell would not stay long as the building would have many short-term owners and tenants in the early years. From 1930 until 1960 the building was owned by brothers George Sures and Harry Sures. In 1960, the southern portion became a Robinson Store. From 1972 to 1982 it was known as Stewart’s Home Centre and in 1982 it became The Happy Chopsticks, a popular Chinese restaurant to the present day, the current owners taking it over in 1985.
The northern portion of the building was Melita Hardware (1922-1929) and, after the Sures brothers moved out in 1960, it became the Melita Regional Library for a time before being used for a number of retail shops. The west (rear) wall of the building has exposed fieldstone masonry but the front façade is completely unrecognizable from its original form. The second floor was removed many years ago.
Sturgeon Block under construction (1899)
Source: Our First Century, page 316.
Sturgeon Block (no date)
Source: Our First Century, page 314.
Happy Chopsticks Restaurant (December 2025)
Source: Pryce Brown
Rear of Happy Chopsticks Restaurant showing fieldstone construction (December 2025)
Source: Pryce BrownSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.26954, W100.99069
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: John James “Jack” Morrow (1874-1962)
Memorable Manitobans: Thomas Dickson Sturgeon (1852-1932)
Manitoba Business: Robinson, Little and Company
Our First Century: Town of Melita and Municipality of Arthur by Melita-Arthur History Committee, 1983, pages 348-349.
This page was prepared by Kerrin Asmundson, Pryce Brown, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 21 December 2025
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