© 2022, Christian Cassidy
Demolished: ca. 1985
The first newspaper mentions of Lark Street, a block long lane connecting William and Bannatyne avenues near McPhillips Street, can be found in 1905. It was likely just a back lane entrance at the eastern edge of what was once a large lot facing McPhillips Street. Services such as sewer and sidewalks were not added until 1914.
The origin of the street's name is unclear. The only Lark living in Winnipeg from 1904 to 1906 according to street directories was Julia, a waitress renting a room in a house on Adelaide Street.
1918 Henderson's Street Directory of Winnipeg
The industrial building appeared at 114 Lark Street around 1917. It was the new vehicle garage and warehouse for Clark Brothers and Hughes, funeral directors and ambulance service, located on Donald Street.
In 1922, bailiffs seized the garage and auctioned off the equipment inside and furnishings inside. (Clark Bros. and Hughes, however, continued to function as a funeral home. Perhaps it was their ambulance wing or a commercial service to the general public that went bankrupt.)
The building sat empty for a couple of years before starting its long association with with the dry cleaning industry.
The first cleaners to call it home was Swiss Dry Cleaners and Dyers who relocated their plant from Main Street around 1924. It lasted just a year before becoming Mathews and Scott Dry Cleaners Ltd. a firm that had its roots in a company simply called The Cleaners on Jessie Avenue.
The company principals were James Mathews and John Scott.
In 1934, the company was re-branded Scott's Cleaners and the company applied to built a small brick extension to the building.
March 30, 1950, The Jewish Post
Scott's had a number of storefront depots around the city, including 110 Sherbrook Street, now home to Stella's Bakery. (A sign for Scott's was discovered whilst doing the exterior renovations.) In out-of-town papers in the late 1960s it listed thirteen agents in places like Stonewall, Steinbach, and Fisher Branch.
As the decades went on, Scott's became a smaller and smaller player in the city's dry cleaning industry. By 1983, a home renovation business was also advertising from the 114 Lark address.
February 18, 1984, Winnipeg Free Press
The downfall of the company appears to have been a couple of fires in February 1984.
The first took place on February 17. Despite what it says under the photo above, it apparently caused $50,000 damage to the rear portion of the building. Scott's took out newspaper ads to say that business would continue as usual they renovated.
A second fire on February 28 caused more extensive damage by destroying the second floor. Scott's never advertised again and presumably closed down.
One man was arrested in Winnipeg in 1987 and another in Guelph in 1989. Both were charged with arson in relation to the fires.
This address is not mentioned again in the Free Press and it is unclear when the building was demolished.
114 Lark Street is currently listed in city assessment records as a "Storage Compound" and until recently was home to a vehicle customization shop. The neighbouring 122 Lark, which was presumably part of the dry cleaning plant property, is a 1,000 square foot bungalow built in 1990.
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