Monday, January 8, 2018

303 Stanley Street - Fry - Cadbury Building

 Source: Google Street View

Place: Fry - Cadbury Building
Address: 303 Stanley Street (Map)
Cost: $150,000
Opened: 1955
Architect: Moody and Moore
Contractor: Unknown
 1957 ad

This single-storey, 16,000 square foot office and warehouse building was constructed in 1955 for Fry-Cadbury, the British-based chocolate and confectionery giant.

The company had a presence in Canada since the 1920s with a factory and warehouse in Montreal. A western sales office and warehouse was established in Winnipeg around 1940 on the second floor of the Victory Building on Lombard Avenue, (now demolished), before moving to 345 Higgins in 1951.

This building cost $150,000 and was designed by local architects Moody and Moore.

Moody Moore had just designed some of their largest projects to-date, including the Women’s Pavilion on Notre Dame Avenue (1951) and Children’s Hospital on William Avenue (1952). Soon after this project, they designed some large-scale office buildings such as the Manitoba Hydro headquarters  on Taylor Avenue (1957) and the former Investors Building on Broadway (1956).


From this building's air conditioned offices and refrigerated warehouse space, Fry-Cadbury served the Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Northwest Ontario region. The long-time manager of the Winnipeg operation was Wilbur C. Hall.

In 1971, Fry-Cadbury merged with Schweppes Powell Ltd. to create Cadbury Schweppes Powell. Later in the decade the company was restructured, which included pulling out of Montreal and closing the Winnipeg warehouse.


In 1979, the building became home to the Creamette Company of Canada, manufacturers of macaroni and spaghetti. It was the only Canadian branch plant of the Creamette Company established in Minnesota in 1912.

Creamette first set up shop in Winnipeg in 1941 at 283 Stanley Street, (now demolished). This building was was bought to add additional office and warehouse space to their operations.

Creamette closed down in Winnipeg in 1993, though Creamettes are still manufactured and sold in the U.S..


The next long-term owner of the building was Superior Finishes Inc., a manufacturer of industrial coatings. Created in 1992, it moved into 303 Stanley in 1997 and operated a research and development lab as well as manufactured and product there.

The company was founded by Tom Guertin Jr. who is part of a family that has a long association with the paint and coatings industry in Winnipeg.


In 1947, Norbert and Tony Guertin Sr. formed Guertin Bros. (Paints) Ltd. From 1962 to 1987 the company occupied 270 Assiniboine Avenue, where Bonnycastle Park is today and a warehouse in St. James. In 2008, Guertin Bros. (Paints) Ltd. was sold to Cloverdale Paints of Vancouver.

Superior Finishes Inc. moved to larger premises in to 2012.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/christiansphotos/1469785939/

The current owner of the building is Siloam Mission.

Created in 1987, Siloam Mission’s home was on Main Street until it relocated to 300 Princess Street, also known as the Canadian Farbanks-Morse Building, in 2005.

Siloam Mission campus

In 2013, the mission purchased 303 Stanley Street and another neighbouring property at 288 Princess Street, demolished in December 2017, for a multi-million dollar expansion of their facility. 

303 Stanley was subsequently renovated into the mission’s 400-seat dining hall and opened in October 2017.

© 2017, Christian Cassidy

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