This brick building at the southwest corner of Langside Street and Sara Avenue (formerly Preston Avenue) in Winnipeg, measuring 25.4 feet by 42 feet, was designed by local architect Edgar Prain and built as a one-storey structure in 1912 by the Daykin Scott Construction Company at a cost of about $8,000. It was occupied by the Hill Brothers Grocery, operated by brothers William and James Hill who resided nearby at 150 Langside.
William Hill sold the store in 1922, when it was affiliated with the Red and White chain and later part of the Shop Easy chain. Two storeys were added in 1927 to provide space for rental apartments. In 1942, under owners Jack and Alma Schiller, the store was named the Langside Grocery.
Presently, the building, renamed the Armstrong Block, is a designated West Broadway Heritage Site. It houses the Langside Grocery restaurant on the main floor.
Armstrong Block (January 2018)
Source: George Penner
Armstrong Block (August 2024)
Source: Jordan Makichuk
Entrance to residential apartments in the Armstrong Block (August 2024)
Source: Jordan Makichuk
Interior of the Langside Grocery restaurant (December 2020)
Source: Rose Kuzina
Original tin ceiling tiles salvaged during renovations of the Langside Grocery restaurant(December 2020)
Source: Rose KuzinaSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.88361, W97.15685
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Edgar Prain (1881-1958)
Manitoba Business: Daykin Scott Construction Company
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 1759/1912, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“Winnipeg, Man.,” Contract Record and Engineering Review, 12 June 1912, page 78.
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 2551/1927, City of Winnipeg Archives.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
Cheers to West Broadway's Community Heritage, Heritage Winnipeg Blog, 18 December 2017.
Preparation of this page was supported, in part, by the Gail Parvin Hammerquist Fund of the City of Winnipeg.
We thank George Penner and Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer, Jordan Makichuk, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 14 June 2025
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
