This three-storey brick and Tyndall stone trimmed apartment block on Cathedral Avenue in Winnipeg, measuring 66 feet by 130 feet, was designed by architect Edgar Prain. It was built in 1927 for the Sheps Agencies Limited by contractor Walter Hanson Iverson, with subcontractors that included Hyman Roller (painting and decorating), Tyee Super Flooring Company Limited (flooring), Frigidaire Corporation (refrigerators), Robinson & Company Limited (blinds), Electric Engineering Company (electrical), and Dominion Electric Company (lighting fixtures). Miscellaneous building supplies were provided by the McArthur Lumber and Fuel Company. The apartments were supplied with electricity by Winnipeg Hydro and coal-fired steam heating was provided by the Capital Coal Company Limited. The cost of construction was about $80,000.
In its original configuration, the block contained 30 three- or four-room apartments. It contains 32 apartments today. Known originally as Balfouria Apartments, the building was later renamed Cathedral Court.
Balfouria Apartments A (1927)
Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 8 October 1927, page 9
Cathedral Court A (November 2020)
Source: George Penner
Cathedral Court A (July 2025)
Source: Jordan MakichukSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.92384, W97.12525
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Edgar Prain (1881-1958)
Memorable Manitobans: Walter Hanson Iverson (1884-1952)
Memorable Manitobans: Benjamin “Ben” Sheps (c1880-1964)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Balfouria Apartments B / Cathedral Court B (195 Cathedral Avenue, Winnipeg)
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 639/1927, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“North Winnipeg apartments,” Manitoba Free Press, 23 April 1927, page 22.
“Balfouria Apartments St. John's magnificent new structure,” Winnipeg Tribune, 8 October 1927, page 9.
Find a Postal Code, CanadaPost.
Preparation of this page was supported, in part, by the Gail Parvin Hammerquist Fund of the City of Winnipeg.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer, George Penner, Jordan Makichuk, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 20 September 2025
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