This 34-storey (407 feet tall) building at the corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street in Winnipeg, measuring 137 feet by 137 feet, was designed by the architectural firm of Smith Carter Searle and Associates and constructed between 1967 and 1969 by Poole Construction using structural steel provided by Dominion Bridge. Four elevators served the lower 17 floors while six elevators served the upper levels. It was the city's tallest building until 1990 when a 33-storey office tower at 201 Portage Avenue was opened.
The lowermost 31 floors were occupied by various businesses and organizations while the upper floors contained heating and cooling equipment. In the original configuration, floors 25 to 30 housed James Richardson & Sons Limited, Richardson Securities of Canada, Pioneer Grain Company, Richardson Terminals Limited, Armstrong and Taylor Limited, and Richardson Realty Limited. Other major tenants in the building included Air Canada (five floors), Federal Grain (two floors), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (two floors), and Price Waterhouse and Company (one floor).
Richardson Building (December 2012)
Source: George Penner
Richardson Building (March 2017)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89620, W97.13805
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Manitoba Business: Smith Carter and Katelnikoff / Smith Carter Architects and Engineers / Architecture49
Manitoba Business: Martin and Poole Construction / E. E. Poole General Contractors / Poole Construction / PCL Construction
Manitoba Business: Dominion Bridge Company
MHS Centennial Business: James Richardson & Sons Limited / Pioneer Grain Company / Richardson Pioneer
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Red Indian Service Station (Portage Avenue East, Winnipeg)
“Contract for the supply and install of the reinforced steel is let to the Dominion Bridge Company,” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 December 1967, page 45.
“On a clear day, you'll see as far north as Selkirk” by Ralph Bagley, Winnipeg Free Press, 29 April 1969, page 95.
“Richardson Building; sub contractors,” Winnipeg Tribune, 15 November 1969, page 35.
We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by George Penner and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 11 September 2025
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