1910 – A.E. McKenzie Company Building, Brandon, Manitoba

This six storey reinforced concrete and brick office and warehouse was designed in 1910 by Thomas Sinclair, a prominent Brandon architect, and constructed for $100,000 by the Brandon Construction Company under the supervision of Thomas Harrington. The utilitarian building has decorative highlights such as voluted shield capitals, which support the second-storey cornice.

“The McKenzie seed warehouse was the first concrete structure to be erected in Brandon. It has a frontage on Ninth street of 60 feet, by a depth of 120 feet, and is seven storeys high, including the basement, with a brick storey erected on top of the roof slab.

The total height of the building from sidewalk to coping is 91 feet. There were seven slabs erected, the time occupied in their completion being indicated by the following schedule: ground floor, August 4, 1910; first floor, August 19; second floor, August 31; third floor, September 9; fourth floor, September 17; fifth floor, September 23; sixth floor. September 30. The total time occupied in the erection was thus ,57 days; deducting eight Sundays leaves 49 working days — an average of about eight days to a storey. This reflects most creditably upon the contractors.

The construction of the building was not unattended by difficulty. This being the first building of its kind erected in Brandon the company were somewhat handicapped in securing the proper class of men to handle the work.”
Engineering and Contract Record, April 5 1911

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