Formerly located on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, a three-storey brick and Tyndall stone building, measuring 44 feet by 120 feet, was designed by local architect James McDiarmid. It was built in 1903 by the construction firm of Fischer and Company for businessman Mark Fortune at a cost of about $25,000, on land owned by Daniel Hunter McMillan.
In its original configuration, the building contained three retail spaces on the main floor, and offices, kitchen, dining room, pantries, and cloak room on the second floor. The entire third floor was occupied by an elegant assembly room with hardwood floors, pilasters, decorated walls, and a heavily corniced, 17 feet pressed tin ceiling.
Following Fortune’s death on the Titanic, McMillan assumed full ownership of the building until 1929 when he sold it to the Capitol Theatre on Donald Street. That year the building was renovated at a cost of about $75,000 to have a new entrance on Portage Avenue.
In 1964, the theatre was sold and, the following year, extensive alterations designed by the local architectural firm of Duncan Rattray Peters and Searle concealed the original front facade. The building was demolished in 1991 and the site is now occupied by new commercial building.
Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89413, W97.14295
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: James McDiarmid (1855-1934)
Memorable Manitobans: Mark Fortune (1847-1912)
Memorable Manitobans: Daniel Hunter McMillan (1846-1933)
Manitoba Business: Duncan Rattray Peters and Searle
Manitoba Organization: Manitoba Association of Architects
MHS Centennial Organization: The Women’s Canadian Club of Winnipeg
City of Winnipeg s Building Permit 361/1903, City of Winnipeg Archives.
Winnipeg fire insurance map, #105 Dec 1955, City of Winnipeg Archives.
The Year Past: Report of the City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, 1991.
This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk.
Page revised: 2 September 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!
