Memorable Manitobans: Max Zev Blankstein (1873-1931)

Architect.

Born at Odessa, Russia in 1873, where he received architectural training, he emigrated to Canada in 1904 and was among the first Jewish architects to register and practise. Three of his seven children also became architects: Cecil Blankstein, Evelyn Blankstein, and Morley Blankstein. He died at his Winnipeg home, 131 Machray Avenue, on 31 December 1931 and was buried in the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Aikins Courts Apartments	167 Aikins Street, Winnipeg	1907
Minuk Block	254-260 Dufferin Avenue, Winnipeg	1909	Demolished (?)
Glesby Stables	468 Aberdeen Avenue, Winnipeg	1910
Chechik, Gold and Kernham Cold Storage Warehouse	422 Jarvis Avenue, Winnipeg	1910
Northern Block Apartments	94 McGregor Street, Winnipeg	1910	Demolished (?)
Palace Theatre	501 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1912
Winnipeg Hebrew Free School (Talmud Torah)	121 Charles Street, Winnipeg	1912
Zimmerman Block	669 Main Street, Winnipeg	1913
Steiman Block	541 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1913
Brandon Court Apartments	377 Brandon Avenue, Winnipeg	1913
Jessie Block Apartments	626 Jessie Avenue, Winnipeg	1914
North Panama Apartments	229 Machray Avenue, Winnipeg	1914
European Block	588 Manitoba Avenue, Winnipeg	1914
Globe Bedding Company Warehouse	274 Jarvis Avenue, Winnipeg	1918
New Hargrave Building	361 Hargrave Street, Winnipeg	1922
Tory’s Academy Auto Service Garage	155 Fort Street, Winnipeg	1928
Lido Theatre	220 Edwards Avenue, The Pas	1928-1929
Tivoli Theatre	115 Maryland Street, Winnipeg	1929
Roxy Theatre	385 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg	1929
Uptown Theatre	394 Academy Road, Winnipeg	1930-1931

Sources:

1921 Canada census, Ancestry.

“Winnipeg’s new Uptown Theatre will open this evening,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 December 1931, page 16.

“M. Z. Blankstein, architect, dies early this morning,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1931, page 1.

Winnipeg Building Index (University of Manitoba).

Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950.

Obituary [Morley Blankstein], Winnipeg Free Press, 20 June 2015, page A30.

We thank August Rivalin and Murray Peterson for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 26 May 2017

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