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. He married Laika “Lena” Golden (1881-1959) and they had seven children: Sarah Blankstein (1902-?), Isaac Wolfe Blankstein (1904-1990), Cecil Blankstein, Eva Blankstein, Evelyn Blankstein, Morley Blankstein, and Fred “Ingy” Blankstein (1921-2018), three of whom became architects. He died at his Winnipeg home, 131 Machray Avenue, on 31 December 1931 and was buried in the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery.

The holdings of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada include drawings by Blankstein of one of Winnipeg’s most iconic buildings, the Uptown Theatre.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Aikins Court	167 Aikins Street, Winnipeg	1907
Queen’s Theatre (renovation)	239 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1908-1909
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	94 McGregor Street, Winnipeg	1910	Demolished (?)
Budnik Block	594-600 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1911
Continental Block	796 Main Street, Winnipeg	1911
Palace Theatre	501 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1912
Winnipeg Hebrew Free School (Talmud Torah)	121 Charles Street, Winnipeg	1912
Brandon Court	377 Brandon Avenue, Winnipeg	1912
Alekno Block	376 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1913
Steiman Block	541 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1913
Talbot Block	250 Talbot Avenue, Winnipeg	1913
Zimmerman Block	669 Main Street, Winnipeg	1913
Alekno Block (renovations)	376 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1914
Cressy Block	426-428 Manitoba Avenue, Winnipeg	1914	Demolished (?)
European Block	588 Manitoba Avenue, Winnipeg	1914
Jessie Block	626 Jessie Avenue, Winnipeg	1914-1917
Kepman Apartments	640 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1914
North Panama Apartments	229 Machray Avenue, Winnipeg	1914
Rubin Block	270 Morley Avenue, Winnipeg	1914
North End Mennonite Brethren Church	533 Burrows Avenue, Winnipeg	1917
Globe Bedding Company Warehouse	274 Jarvis Avenue, Winnipeg	1918
Budnik Block (addition)	594-600 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1920
New Hargrave Building	361 Hargrave Street, Winnipeg	1922
Hebrew Free School	220 Andrews Street, Winnipeg	1923
Budnik Block (addition)	594-600 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1924
Mindell Block	607-609 Main Street, Winnipeg	1925
Alekno Block (renovations)	376 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg	1926
Rose Theatre	801 Sargent Avenue, Winnipeg	1926
Tivoli Theatre	115 Maryland Street, Winnipeg	1927
Tory’s Academy Auto Service Garage	155 Fort Street, Winnipeg	1928
Lido Theatre	220 Edwards Avenue, The Pas	1928-1929
Roxy Theatre	385 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg	1929
Uptown Theatre	394 Academy Road, Winnipeg	1930-1931

Sources:

1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

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 [Lena Blankstein], Winnipeg Free Press, 16 April 1959, page 47.

Obituary [Isaac Wolfe Blankstein], Winnipeg Free Press, 24 December 1990, page 62.

Obituary [Ida Blankstein], Winnipeg Free Press, 13 August 2003, page 47.

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

Obituary [Fred Blankstein], Winnipeg Free Press, 21 July 2018.

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

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 20 May 2022

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