662 Main Street - The Bell Hotel

Place: The Bell Hotel 
Location: 662 Main Street (Map)
Constructed: 1906-07 (Reopened 2011)
Architect: Unknown (1906); BIOS (2011)
Cost: $5 million (2011 renovations)

April 2, 1907, Manitoba Free Press

In 1905 - 06 businessman Joseph Bernhardt was assembling a chain of local hotels. He bought the Windsor, the Winnipeg and one other along Main Street. On a vacant property he owned at Main and Henry, he decided to construct his first custom-built hotel.

April 16, 1907, Manitoba Free Press

Perhpas Bernhardt overextended himself as sold off the 72-room hotel before construction was completed. In April 1907 the keys were handed over to the new owners, Harry and Thomas Bell. 

The Bells arrived in Winnipeg in the early 1880's. It appears that Thomas was in the retail grocery business while Harry started out working as an employee at a livery stable, which eventually led to him being a horse breeder. It seems neither had any hotel experience.

The Bell years were uneventful ones. The hotel catered to a steady stream of middle class travelers and traveling salesmen who set up shop for weeks at a time to ply their goods.

ca. 1913 (source)

In July 1912 the Bells sold the hotel for $200,000 to the Bronfman family. They were Russian Jews who came to Manitoba around 1889 and settled in the Brandon area. In 1903 they got into the hotel industry by purchasing the Anglo American Hotel in Emerson then spread out across the prairies. The Bell was their largest property to-date. 

Son Sam Bronfman was dispatched to run the Bell. The family invested $15,000 in renovations to provide the latest in fire protection, a first class pool hall, a comfortable restaurant and a barber shop.

July 3, 1914, Winnipeg Free Press

Under Bronfman the Bell found itself on the wrong side of the law on numerous occasions. In 1914 it was part of a political scandal that saw a number of non-existent hotel guests registered as voters in the provincial election. There were also numerous citations for selling liquor after hours.

As is still the case with many small hotels, the main source of income did not come from renting rooms but from selling booze. When prohibition was proclaimed in Manitoba in 1916 many hoteliers were ruined.

The Bell not only survived but thrived, thanks to a gap the existed between the federal and provincial liquor laws. Manitoba could ban alcohol consumption within its own borders but it could not prohibit the local production and / or trade of alcohol if it was for consumption in other provinces. The Bronfman family's chain of prairie hotels meant that Sam had an already existing out-of-province distribution network in place. He went from selling liquor by the glass to selling it by the boxcar.

By 1918 the feds and provinces closed this loophole and Sam moved to Montreal where he bought a liquor distribution company that he wold grow into the Seagram's empire.

The next owner of the Bell had even more trouble with liquor laws. Proprietor William Hogan was charged in 1922 with possessing liquor with the intent to sell and was fined $500. He was charged again in 1924 and sentenced to six months in jail, (which was later quashed on appeal). In 1925 his liquor license was pulled.

Prohibition ended in 1923 but by that time many of the province's small hotels were owned by breweries which had taken them over due to the non-payment of invoices. Most of those that survived as independents were hit hard by the Depression and sold out.

The Bell appears to have held out longer than most. Around 1933 George Adam Swan bought the Bell Hotel (and the Brunswick Hotel in 1939). He died a bachelor in 1943 at the age of 55 and left almost all of his $82,000 estate to his employees.

September 10, 1963, Winnipeg Free Press

The Bell eventually became a Labatt hotel, part of the brewery's 42-property Community Hotels Ltd. In 1963 Labatt began selling off these properties and the Bell was purchased by a group of employees led by manager O. A. LaFreniere. The next newspaper mention of an owner is Ben Luffman in 1970. By 1983 the Bell Hotel's final owner, Donald Marshall, was in charge.

August 25, 2007, Winnipeg Free Press

The fortunes of Main Street and its single room occupancy (SRO) hotels began to decline in the 1950 and 60s and the Bell was no exception. 

In the 1990s the began an initiative to purge Main Street of many of its SRO hotels, with the hopes that it would help revitalize the area. Hotels that closed included the Leland in 1996, the Brunswick in 1999 and the Savoy in 2000. The Bell's turn came in 2007 when CentreVenture purchased it from Donald Marshall.

In 2010 the federal and provincial governments along with CentreVenture announced a $5.2m renovation of the hotel to create supportive housing units for the homeless or those at-risk of being homeless.

The 75 single occupancy rooms were reduced to 42 as each room now has a private washroom and kitchenette. The main floor consists of common areas and offices of social services. There is no bar.

The Bell reopened June 30, 2011.

Related:
Bell Hotel Overview Historic Buildings Committee (pdf)
The Winnipeg SRO Hotel West End Dumplings
Innovative Housing Initiative to promote stability, independence for homeless Joint News Release, April 23, 2010
Photos of the Bell renovations The Bios (architects) Bell Hotel Supportive Housing Factsheet
Bell Hotel ready to welcome new tenants WRHA News Release, June 30, 2011
Inside the Bell Hotel WRHA

Media:
Bell Tolls for Downtown Hotel CBC Aug. 31, 2010
Bell to become homeless haven Winnipeg Free Press, April 23, 2010
A home for the homeless Winnipeg Free Press, July 2, 2011

September 12, 1915, Manitoba Free Press

A Map of Recent Main Street Developments

CommunityWalk Map - Changes to Main Street

This is a look at some of the development along Main street in the past couple of years.

There were a couple of sizeable buildings opened on land that sat vacant for many decades, namely the WRHA Dwontown Access building and United Way HQ.

New joints like The Tallest Poppy, The Edge artist's village and Main Meats took over existing spaces. Even the McLaren got in the act with a sushi bar.

A couple of new projects are well on their way to completion:

Youth for Christ's Center for Youth Excellence at Higgins and Main.

The Bell Hotel doesn't look different from the front but from the back work is ongoing. The latest thing are new windows all around.

On the other side of the subway at Euclid, the former California Fruit Market is being transformed into the new, larger home of Neechi Foods.

555 Main Street - Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall

Place: Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall (Website)
Address: 555 Main Street (Map)
Opened: March 27,1968
Cost: $8m
Architects: Green Blankstein Russell Associates; Moody Moore and Partners; and Smith Carter Searle Associates.
Acoustician: Russell Johnson.
Status: Renovations in Process

Background:

Site ca. 1964, Playhouse Theatre on right (source)

Canada's Centennial was a time to think big. Not just in terms of celebratory events like Expo '67 but also for bricks and mortar "legacy projects." Manitoba had two centennial celebrations in a short period, with the province's in 1970, which allowed planners to think even bigger.

In 1960 a plan was fromalized to construct an entire arts district on a five acre site across from the new Civic Centre as a way to “commemorate Canada’s centenary and initiate a broad scheme of urban renewal in Winnipeg’s Point Douglas Area” (source - accessed 2008.) In time it would include a concert hall, museum, planetarium, theatre centre and parkade.

Ca. 1950s showing future location of Civic Centre and Centennial Centre
Original photo source.

The scheme was not without controversy. The project wold cost tens of millions of dollars, take five years to construct and require the demolition of four square blocks. Boosters of the plan poiinted out that the rejuvination that it would spur along Main Street would more than make up the cost an inconvenience. 

In 1963 a Manitoba Centennial Corporation board, chaired by Maitland B. Steinkopf, was chosen to oversee the planning, construction and fundraising.

The 2300 seat Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall was the first building for the new district. It replaced the 800 seat hall in the Winnipeg Auditorium (now Manitoba Archives) building on Vaughan 

On March 27, 1968 Governor General Roland Michener cut the ribbon at an opening reception. The following night a gala opening concert featuring performances by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Theatre Centre and Royal Winnipeg Ballet took place. Dignitaries in attendance included Governor-General Roland Michener and Mrs. Michener, Lieutenant-Governor Richard S. Bowles and Mrs. Bowles, Premier Walter Weir, Secretary of State Judy La Marsh and Maitland B. Steinkopf, chairman of the Manitoba Centennial Corporation and 2,000 others. 

The Concert Hall was a hit. Christopher Dafoe of the Free Press called the building a "proper temple for the arts." (WFP March 29, 1968.) The Royal Winnipeg Ballet scrambled to change the venue for their last concert of the season to the Concert Hall.

source

Aside from The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Manitoba Opera, it has hosted thousands of performances including Pink Floyd (1970), The Bee Gees (1974,) Burton Cummings (who launched his solo career there in 1979), the Rusalka Ukrainian Dancers (2003) and The Tragically Hip (2009.)

Since that time the Manitoba Centennial Centre, which still manages the Concert Hall, Museum, Planetarium and Manitoba Theatre Centre, added the MTC Warehouse Theatre, Artspace and the Production Centre for Film to their portfolio of holdings.

On May 29, 2009 the Manitoba and Federal Governments announced a $5 million infrastructure project to renovate the Concert Hall. Components include the underground parkade refurbishment, "a new acoustic enhancement system and significant stage sound and lighting improvements" and a redevelopment of the Steinkopf Gardens.

Related:
Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall Homepage
Centennial Concert Hall Winnipeg Building Index

389 Main Street - The Millennium Centre

Project: The Millennium Centre (Website)
Address: 389 Main Street (Map)
Size: 6 storey, 62,806 sq ft
Architect: Darling and Pearson (with by C.H. Wheeler)

Background

There have been two Bank of Commerce headquarters at 389 Main Street. The original was a building called the Bannatyne Block that the bank leased beginning in 1893 before purchasing it outright in 1899.

The rapid growth of the west meant that the headquarters was soon outgrown. Bank Chairman Sir Edmund Walker said that the bank had 'utterly miscalculated the grown of Winnipeg.'

ca.1903 source

The Commerce wanted to remain in the same location so they purchased as much adjoining land as they could and brought in the architect firm of Darling and Pearson of Toronto with local assistance from Charles Wheeler. The bank moved to temporary headquarters and the old old hall was demolished except for the facade which was removed and shipped to Regina for their main branch there.

On Saturday October 26, 1912 the new Bank of Commerce headquarters opened with a gala luncheon held in the main hall. Sir Edmund presided over 300 guests, VIPs from the world of banking and finance in Western Canada and the northern States

At the opening Walker remarked "I do not think that anyone can doubt that in the development of this western country that Winnipeg is destined to become not only a great city in Canada but a great city on the North American continent."

The imposing structure does contain a six storey office building but the majority of the space is dedicated to the banking hall which is 48 feet long, 44 feet wide, and 26 feet high. The floors, walls, columns and ceiling are of marble with an artificial stained glass skylight and 14 foot tall stained glass windows.

ca.1978 (source)

In time the Commerce absorbed the Bank of Hamilton building next door and operated on the site until 1969 when it moved to the newly opened Richardson Building. The Commerce then applied to have the two buildings demolished and that touched off a fierce debate.

These were the days before any formal urban heritage preservation movement in Winnipeg but the fate of Bankers Row put the Manitoba Historical Society and the bank on opposite ends. A city committee put the buildings on the historical register and the bank threatened to sue. On November 6, 1979, after a long and sometimes angry debate, the city voted to keep the buildings on the historical register thus preventing their demolition.

The building sat vacant and in 1991 MarWest purchased it and invested over $500,000 to replace the failing roof and repair damage done to the stained glass dome and plaster work.

Around 2000 Bill Loewen negotiated a deal that saw Marwest turn the building over to a non-profit group that would operate it as a venue called the Millennium Centre. The Loewen Foundation invested $800,000 in the building. Matching amounts from the provincial and federal government fell through when the province pulled out of the deal. As a result the building is only partially renovated but the main floor and hall has been restored to its former glory for use as a a music and event venue.

On June 26, 2002 a media conference was held to reopen 389 Main Street after spending more than 30 years in the dark.

Loewen, founder of Comcheq, is a member of the Order of Canada and in 2008 inducted into the Winnipeg Citizens' Hall of Fame for his philanthropic work.

The Hamilton Bank Building houses city offices.

Related
Music at the Millennium Free Concerts
389 Main Street Winnipeg Building Index
389 Main Street Winnipeg Historic Building Committee (pdf)

Higgins and Main - Centre for Youth Excellence

December 2011 UPDATE:
Ribbon Cutting on December 9, 2011 !
Sneak peek at YFC centre Winnipeg Free Press
A place to stay, a place to pray Winnipeg Free Press
Photos of interior below or here

Project: Youth for Christ Centre for Youth Excellence
Address: 333 King Street, at Higgins Avenue at Main Street (Map)
Status: Opened December 9, 2011
Cost: $12.6m
Architect: Raymond S.C. Wang

Background

October 28, 1944 - Winnipeg Free Press

September 22, 1945 - Winnipeg Evening Tribune

Youth for Christ was created in the U.S. by Reverend Billy Graham in the mid 1940s.

Touring youth rallies visited regualrly visited Winnipeg beginning in the autumn of 1944. The rallies, sometimes called 'Songspirations', consisted of a mixture of music and speakers. Without a 'home church' they held their events at various locations throughout the city, a regular spot in the early years was Grace Church (on the triangular strip of land across from the Walker Theatre).

A Winnipeg Chapter of Youth for Christ was incorporated in 1954 and the rallies became a regular feature on Winnipeg's social scene. By the 1960s their concerts and movie showings drew hundreds and were often held at the Winnipeg Auditorium (now the Manitoba Archives Building).

In 1968 Youth for Christ began semi-annual marches and fund raising walk-a-thons that drew 1,000 people or more. The organization also moved toward project-based activities such operating a camp for troubled youth and a program called Lifeline to counsel youth one-on-one.

November 8, 1987 - Winnipeg Free Press

In 1987 Youth for Christ centralized their programs and 26 staff under one roof, an old fire hall at 325 Talbot Avenue in Elmwood. The following year they opened a youth drop-in centre at the site.

There are now 23 Canadian Chapters of Youth for Christ. Winnipeg's is one of the largest programs in North America.

Expansion Plans

In June 2010 shovels went in the ground to build a new headquarters called the Centre for Youth Excellence on the site of the former Savoy Hotel, demolished in 2000.

The $12.6m project is a partnership between Youth for Christ, the City of Winnipeg / CentreVenture and the federal government. The facility will include an indoor skate park, gym, fitness center, rock-climbing wall, a performing arts centre and counseling area. It is expected to open in Spring 2011.

Related:
Centre for Youth Excellence brochure Youth for Christ
Construction starts on Youth for Christ centre CBC June 24, 2010

Photo updates:

October 30, 2010:

March 2011:


May 2011:

July 2011


September 2011:


November 2011


December 9, 2011 (Official Opening)







More photos here