Link to:
Provincial Librarians | Provincial Archivists | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
This building, designed by the architectural firms of Northwood and Chivers, Pratt and Ross, and John Nelson Semmens, was erected by the firm of Carter-Halls-Aldinger, assisted by excavation contractor James Murray Reid, in 1931-1932. It was completed during the depths of the Great Depression as a make-work project of the federal government, Province of Manitoba, and City of Winnipeg. Its cornerstone was laid on 18 August 1932 at a ceremony attended by the Governor-General of Canada. The building was officially opened on 15 October 1932 by Canadian Prime Minister R. B. Bennett and Minister of the Interior T. G. Murphy.
Its main auditorium seated 4,075 people while the concert hall seated 800. Some of the international stars who appeared here included Yehudi Menuhin, Sonny James, Margot Fonteyn, Paul Robeson, The Trapp Family Singers, Arthur Rubinstein, Glenn Gould, Petula Clark, Jussi Bjöerling, and Marion Anderson. Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker began his successful 1958 election campaign here. A few months later, the Canadian Labour Congress and Co-operative Commonwealth Federation met to lay plans for the creation of the New Democratic Party (NDP).
In 1970, the building was sold by the city to the Province of Manitoba for about a million dollars. After renovations, it became known as the Manitoba Archives Building, and was home to the Archives of Manitoba and the Legislative Library of Manitoba, opening in September 1975. Interior renovations included removal of cantilevered balconies from the main auditorium. The exhibition galleries, with their large, arched windows, became the Reading Rooms for the Archives and Library.
Period
Provincial Librarian
1884-1919
John Palmerston Robertson (1841-1919)
1919-1936
William James Healy (1867-1950)
1936-1955
John Leslie Johnston (1898-1955)
1955-1970
Marjorie Gertrude Morley (1910-1993)
1970-1988
Louise Clementine Combaz (1918-1992)
1988-2010
Susan Bishop
2011-2014
Tannis Gretzinger
2014-?
Scott Goodine
Period
Provincial Archivist
1947-1952
James Arthur Shields Jackson (1918-1976)
1952-1967
Hartwell Walter Lewis Bowsfield (1922-2008)
1967-1979
John Alexander Bovey (1934-2005)
1980-1997
Peter Bower
1998-2006
William Gordon Dodds (1941-2010)
2006-2008
?
2008-?
Scott Goodine
Winnipeg Auditorium (1930s) by J. Fred Spalding
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2014-0344
Winnipeg Auditorium (no date)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2020-0059
Interior corridor in the Winnipeg Auditorium (1932)
Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 15 October 1932, page 10.
Interior auditorium in the Winnipeg Auditorium (1932)
Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 15 October 1932, page 10.
Interior auditorium in the Winnipeg Auditorium (1932)
Source: Winnipeg Free Press, 15 October 1932, page 22.
The former Winnipeg Auditorium (September 2017)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.88870, W97.14834
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Manitoba Business: Northwood and Chivers / Northwood Chivers and Casey
Manitoba Business: Pratt and Ross
Manitoba Business: Dominion Bridge Company
Memorable Manitobans: John Nelson Semmens (1879-1960)
Memorable Manitobans: James Murray Reid (1882-1933)
Memorable Manitobans: Hubert A. Garnier (1903-1987)
Manitoba Organization: Manitoba Museum
Historic Sites of Manitoba: The Manitoba Museum (190 Rupert Avenue, Winnipeg)
An Interview with Manitoba’s New Provincial Archivist, Mr. Peter Bower by Sharon Babaian
Manitoba History, Number 4, 1982
“Auditorium practically all “Manitoba made”,” Winnipeg Tribune, 15 October 1932, page 10.
“View of main auditorium from balcony,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 October 1932, page 22.
“Winnipeg Auditorium Building: A Brief History,” unpublished fact sheet by Manitoba Legislative Library.
Obituary [W. Gordon Dodds], Winnipeg Free Press, 3 July 2010.
We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and George Penner.
Page revised: 23 February 2024
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