865 Selkirk Avenue - Residential block

© 2023, Christian Cassidy

Left: May 2023 (C. Cassidy). Right: May 2021 (Google Street View)

Place: Residential block
Address: 865 Selkirk Avenue (Map)
Constructed: ca. 1912

1916 Census of Canada, Library and Archives Canada

This building first appears in street directories in 1912 as home to two "Galacian" (Ukrainian or Polish) labourers, Charles Chekorian and Stanley Roslavski. By 1913, there was a grocery store on the main floor owned by B. Black who also lived on-site but continued to rent out at least one of the suites.

The store was taken over by Paula and Maria Osiniak in 1914. The above entry from the 1916 census of Canada shows that they were Ukrainian and rented out two suites to other Ukrainian families.

The next owner of the store was the Pallone family in 1917 who lived in suite 1 attached to the business.

Frank Pallone came to Canada from Italy as a young teen in 1903 and previously owned Pallone Restaurant at 523 Selkirk Avenue before buying the store. Anna Pallone was born in Poland and came to Canada with her family when she was a baby. She was a singer in her earlier years.

By the time they took over the store, the Pallones had two daughters and a son ranging in age from two to six.

Pallone took out a $1,000 building permit to make "extensive changes to exterior an interior" of the building in September 1939. This likely included an add-on to the store as in later years its address becomes 863 Selkirk while the residence remained 865 Selkirk.

December 31, 1943, Winnipeg Tribune

At 11:45 pm on the night of December 30, 1944, four youths, one armed with a gun, robbed the Pallones of about $100 in cash.

The four, all over eighteen, were caught, plead guilty, and three of them were sentenced to two years in the penitentiary and ten lashes of the whip (!). The fourth robber was let off because the judge felt he was pressured to enter the store by the others.

The Pallones retired in 1945. They continued to live in suite 1 and rented out three others as their post-retirement income.

Frank died in 1963 at the age of 75. Anna continued to live at 865 Selkirk until her death in March 1969 at the age of 78.

The building continues to be a four-unit residential block and is currently under renovation.