259 Fountain Street - The Cosmo Block

© 2024, Christian Cassidy

Place: Cosmo Block
Address: 259 Fountain Street
Built: 1904
Architect: A. Erickson
Cost: $3,200

1906 Henderson's Street Directory (name likely misspelled or Anglicised)

A house was built on this site in 1901 for Swedish immigrant Konstantine Flemming who was a printer by trade. The first mention of him being involved in a local publication was as owner and publisher of the Swedish language newspaper called Väktaren (The Guardian) from 1894 to 1895. It was one of eight Swedish-language newspapers published in Winnipeg from 1887 to 1970.

The house was removed in 1904 so that Flemming could construct this building designed by architect A. Erickson and built by day labour for  $3,200. Flemming moved into a suite on the top floor and the rest of the building was home to his Cosmopolitan Printing Ltd., later renamed Fleming Printing Ltd.. It was a commercial print shop that also published the weekly Canadian Farmer magazine and Swedish language newspaper Canada Weekly.

It is unclear if the business went under or was sold off, but in 1907 Flemming appears in the street directory as a customs clerk and there is no mention of the print shop. He continued to live in the building until around 1909 when the Canadian Steam Shirt and Collar Manufacturing Company moved in. It was later the Invicta Shirt and Collar Manufacturing Company.

Training College in 1919, Salvation Army Archives

In 1914, the building was sold and it became a Salvation Army Metropole. This was a “brand name" the organisation used in various cities for a type of hostel for indigent men, often new immigrants, to provide short-term residence until they got on their feet. 

A hall was added to the south side of the building in 1916 (now demolished).

Captain Ernie Simms ran the Salvation Army's men’s social department and was manager of the Metropole with an office on-site. Simms worked directly with men, not just the destitute but some of Manitoba’s roughest criminals at Stoney Mountain Penitentiary. Some Metropole residents likely were former inmates working their way back into society.  

The Sally Ann converted this building into its Canada West Cadet Training Centre in 1919 where 43 cadets lived. It served in that role until 1927 when a larger centre opened on Portage Avenue.

After the Salvation Army left, the building became the "Danish Home" managed by Lawrence Berg from 1928 to around 1934. In this online biography of the Christensen family, it states: "At that time, the centre of social activity for the Danish community in Winnipeg was the Danish Immigrants' Home on Fountain Street.”

The building became a private apartment block called the Cosmo Bock starting in 1935. Its first proprietor was Chin Gee and it contained around 25 units.

George and Mary Rondos took over the building in 1941 and also lived on site. They came to Winnipeg in 1926 from Slovakia and first settled at 44 Austin Street where they ran a restaurant and lived around back where they raised their two children. 

Mr, Rondos was heavily involved with Slovakian immigrants. In 1932, he co-founded the National Canadian Slovak League based in Winnipeg. One historical account about early Slovakian immigration to Canada states: “George Rondos has been called the 'father of the Slovak immigrants' because of his life-long devoted work on their behalf." 

The block was very much working class and thanks to great streetcar connections its residents worked around the city. Tenants in 1945 had occupations such as hotel employees, Eatons employees, drivers, a meat packer, a bakery worker, a couple of machinists, a bowling alley employee, and a labourer at a cardboard box manufacturing plant.

George and Mary moved to an apartment on Osborne Street by 1955 and their son John, his wife Rose, and their two children, continued to live at the Cosmo Block through the 1960s.

Two of the 1945 residents of the block were Mr. and Mrs. William Burke.

Mr. Burke's stepson, Leonard Watt, showed up on Christmas Day to wish his mother a happy Christmas and to borrow 10 dollars. He gave her his watch as security. When William heard about the transaction, he became angry and kicked Leonard out without the money.

Later, when Leonard realized he had left his watch behind, he returned to ask for it back. He was denied access to the suite and he broke the door down. He and his stepfather argued and it eventually became a fight. The two men rolled out of the broken door into the hall where neighbours, not really sure of what was going on, decided to come to the defense of Burke and began beating Leonard.

When the fight returned inside, Leonard grabbed a knife that was on the kitchen counter to ward off his attackers. As he was waving it about, Burke lunged and was stabbed. He soon died from his wounds.

Leonard Watt was arrested and charged with murder but at his trial the jury believed that he was just defending himself. He was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 23 months in prison.

Sadly, that is not the last troubling incident in the Cosmo Block.

Even in recent years, the building was closed after a 2019 fire left one person in critical condition. After renovations, it reopened but there was a stabbing in 2021, and in February 2024 Charles Chartrand was murdered there.

The building closed soon after the murder and was put up for sale. A for sale ad describes the building as containing 35 units - 6 apartments and 29 rooming house rooms.

The building appears to be undergoing renovations in September 2024.