Manitoba Historical Society
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Historic Sites of Manitoba: Hudson’s Bay Company Building (450 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg)

Constructed as the flagship store for the Hudson’s Bay Company in western Canada, this six-storey building at the junction of Memorial Boulevard and Portage Avenue in downtown Winnipeg was erected by the firm of Carter-Halls-Aldinger between 1925 and 1926. It opened on 18 November 1926. It became a municipally-designated historic building in 2019.

Postcard view of the Hudson’s Bay Company Store

Postcard view of the Hudson’s Bay Company Store (no date)
Source: Rob McInnes, WP0800

Postcard view of the Hudson’s Bay Company Store

Postcard view of the Hudson’s Bay Company Store (no date)
Source: Rob McInnes, WP1806

An aerial view of the HBC department store in Winnipeg taken by the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1930 and published in the September 1931 issue of The Beaver. In the foregound is the Dominion Business College Building, constructed in 1927

An aerial view of the HBC department store in Winnipeg taken by the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1930 and published in the September 1931 issue of The Beaver. In the foregound is the Dominion Business College Building, constructed in 1927.
Source: Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, 1987/363-W-315/101.

A view of the HBC department store in Winnipeg

A view of the HBC department store in Winnipeg (1931) by Bridgens
Source: Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, 1987/363-W-315/102.

The HBC department store in downtown Winnipeg

The HBC department store in downtown Winnipeg (no date)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2019-0059

The HBC department store in downtown Winnipeg

The HBC department store in downtown Winnipeg (no date)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2019-0081

The HBC department store in downtown Winnipeg

The HBC department store in downtown Winnipeg (1972)
Source: George Penner

The HBC department store in downtown Winnipeg

The HBC department store in downtown Winnipeg (September 2014)
Source: George Penner

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89102, W97.15004
denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites

Sources:

Hudson's Bay Company Store (450 Portage Avenue), City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings and Resources Committee, June 2018.

We thank Monica Ball for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough, Rob McInnes, and George Penner.

Page revised: 13 January 2020

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