Manitoba Business: North Star Oil Company / Shell Oil Canada

This company was incorporated on the 23 June 1919, with the acquisition of the Continental Oil Company, and it operated automotive service stations around Manitoba. It was rebranded as North Star Oil Limited in 1928 and, in February 1938, it acquired the assets of the Prairie Cities Oil Company. Its service stations and office building were reopened under the North Star Oil banner by late 1938.

In 1955, the company built a refinery on Archibald Street in St. Boniface. In 1962, it was purchased by the Shell Oil Company and became the North Star Oil Division and, the following year, it was fully rebranded as Shell Oil Canada Limited.

Manitoba Locations

City	Building	Location	Year	Status
Brandon	North Star Service Station	16 Eighteenth Streeth North	1930	Demolished (?)
Winnipeg	North Star Service Station	525 Archibald Street	?	Demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	170 Bannatyne Avenue	1929	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	396 Colony Street	1930	Demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station No. 65	King Street and Rupert Avenue	1929	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	566 Logan Avenue	?	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	10 Main Street	?	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	303 Main Street	1923	Demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	535 Main Street	?	Demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	603 Main Street	?	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	888 Main Street	?	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	888 Main Street	1940	Demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	1018 Main Street	?	Demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	20 Maryland Street	1934	Demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	412 Nairn Avenue	1935
	North Star Service Station	668 Notre Dame Avenue	1929	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)
	North Star Oil Building	1380 Notre Dame Avenue	1929	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938)
	North Star Service Station	145 Osborne Street	1929	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	701 Portage Avenue	1929	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	1397 Portage Avenue	1929	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)
	North Star Service Station	310 St. Mary's Avenue	?	Acquired from Prairie Cities Oil (1938), demolished (?)

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Prairie Cities Oil Building / North Star Oil Building (1380 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg)

Manitoba Business: Prairie Cities Oil Company

Sources:

“New service station for North Star Oil Co. opens Wednesday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 24 April 1923, page 13.

“Outside construction,” Manitoba Free Press, 12 July 1930, page 24.

“North Star Oil build $20,000 service station,” Winnipeg Tribune, 18 October 1930, page 16.

“Building notes,” Winnipeg Tribune, 16 June 1934, page 5.

“Many residences started and planned during week,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 June 1940, page 7.

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

Historical Information [Imperial Oil Ltd.], Jim's Vintage Garages, 28 November 2023.

We thank Gerri Weigeldt for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk.

Page revised: 24 March 2024