© Christian Cassidy, 2023
Place: Church of the Nazarene / Manitoba Hindu Society Temple and Cultural Centre
Address: 854 Ellice Avenue
Constructed: 1950
Architect: Unknown
Contractor: Claydon Contracting Ltd.
The origins of this building date back to the Church of the Nazarene which established itself in Winnipeg in November 1920 in a hall on St. Matthews Avenue at Simcoe Street.
It was a breakaway of the Methodist church which had "departed from the teachings of their founder (John Wesley)". The church headquarters were in Kansas City with Canadian congregations already operating in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Architect's drawing. March 31, 1951, Winnipeg Tribune
Construction started on a new and larger home for the Church of the Nazarene by Claydon Contracting Ltd. in 1950 and it hosted its first service under Pastor R. W. Coulter on Sunday, February 18, 1951. A more formal dedication was held on Sunday, April 1.
In January 1956, a second Church of the Nazarene opened in Norwood and this became known as First Church of the Nazarene.
On July 1, 1966, the church merged with a mission that conducted its services in Fort Garry. The joined congregation built a new building in Fort Richmond the following year and this property was soon vacated. It became home to Liberty Temple for a while.
October 16, 1980, Dave Johnson / Winnipeg Free Press
The Hindu Society of Manitoba was established in 1970 and met at members' homes until 1979 when they purchased this building to become the organization's cultural centre and Manitoba's first Hindu Temple. It opened on October 21, 1979 to coincide with Diwali.
In 1984, the temple was closed for extensive renovations and to add an extension added to the north and east sides. This brought the building's capacity to around 250 people.
The city's Hindu community eventually outgrew this space and in the summer of 2005, a new, 30,000 square foot temple and cultural centre on St. Anne's Road that includes a gym, classrooms, and a temple capacity of 600.
The West End temple continued to operate and a sign that he Hindu Society is committed to keeping it around for the long term, extensive renovations began in autumn 2023 on the nearly 75-year-old building. It includes new electrical and plumbing systems, a 400-square-foot front lobby, an elevator, and a new kitchen.
The temple is expected to reopen in late December 2023.
Related:
Photo gallery of 854 Ellice Hindu Association of Manitoba website
My photo album of 854 Ellice Flickr
Hinduism in Manitoba backgrounder Manitoba Department of Education
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