Historic Sites of Manitoba: Codville-Georgeson Building (43-49 Westbrook Street, Winnipeg)

A seven-storey warehouse at the intersection of Westbrook Street (formerly Victoria Street) and Portage Avenue East in Winnipeg, measuring 100 feet by 132 feet, was designed by local architect Daniel Smith and built in 1906 by Kelly Brothers and Mitchell, at a cost of about $210,000, for the whole grocery firm of Codville-Georgeson Company.

Some employees of the company who were killed during service in the First World War were commemorated at a 61st Battalion concert held at the Walker Theatre on 13-14 December 1915, or in a 144th Battalion military vaudeville held at the Winnipeg Theatre on 9-11 March 1916.

After the 1950s, the building had a number of tenants including Superior Sportswear, Machine Sales, Universal Window Cleaning, United Garments, and Print Plus Custom Screen Printing. In 1991, the City of Winnipeg assumed ownership of the building and it was demolished in 1993 to enlarge a surface parking lot.

Codville-Georgeson Building under construction (1906) Source: Winnipeg Telegram, 3 September 1906, page 19. Street view with Codville-Georgeson Building at right (no date) Source: Planning, Property & Development, City of Winnipeg , HBRC0148 Street view with Codville-Georgeson Building at right (no date) Source: Planning, Property & Development, City of Winnipeg , HBRC0146 Codville Building (1978) Source: Winnipeg Buildings Index, CBS-50 Codville Building (1978) Source: Winnipeg Buildings Index, CBS-53 Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89460, W97.13484 denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War Casualties

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Herbert Henry Blackman	Chauffeur	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	1 June 1894	8 October 1916
James Kent Blair	Traveller	28th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	11 September 1890	2 October 1916
George William Clementson	Packer	Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry	Private	?	17 April 1915
Roy Hatfield	Clerk	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	25 April 1897	30 September 1918
Murray Jordan [St. Giles Presbyterian, Vimy Ridge]	Tea Packer	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	15 July 1897	12 April 1917
John Kennedy [Brandon Armoury, Orange Lodge]	Warehouseman	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	7 October 1885	6 December 1915
Frank Reynolds Moffat	Salesman	52nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	26 January 1875	28 September 1918
Arthur Ernest Williams [Next of Kin]	Clerk	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	8 April 1898	25 April 1915

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Daniel Smith (1840-1913)

Manitoba Business: Kelly Brothers / Manitoba Construction Company / Kelly Brothers and Mitchell / Thomas Kelly and Sons

Memorable Manitobans: John James Codville (1851-1915)

Memorable Manitobans: William Georgeson (1859-?)

Sources:

City of Winnipeg Building Permit 701/1906, City of Winnipeg Archives.

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

“New warehouse to be erected for the Codville, Georgeson Co.,” Manitoba Free Press, 12 May 1906, page 25.

“Big Warehouse upon Victoria Street,” Winnipeg Telegram, 3 September 1906, page 19.

“Costly warehouse on Victoria Street,” Manitoba Free Press, 6 December 1906, page 37.

1992-1993 The Year Past: Report of the City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, pages 75-76.

Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950 by Robert G. Hill, Toronto.

We thank Darryl Toews for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 16 December 2023

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