1892 – The Manitoba Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba

The original grand railway hotel in Winnipeg, built before the Royal Alexandra or the Fort Garry. Indeed, The Manitoba also closed before either were constructed, it was one of the earliest of the great chateau style hotels that were to appear across Canada. Construction for the Manitoba Hotel began in 1891 for the Northern Pacific & Manitoba Railway Company (NPMR) at the southeast corner of Main Street and Water Avenue. Adjacent to the building, along Water Avenue, was the Northern Pacific & Manitoba Railway Station and offices.

Completed under the oversight of John Woodman who was working for railway companies at this time. Both buildings were finished in red sandstone and red moulded brick. The corner tower was 130feet tall and boasted a small viewing deck on the roof that offered a panoramic view of the downtown.

It was completed at a cost of more than $300,000 and was considered the most luxurious and elegant hotel between Montreal and Vancouver. The rotunda or central lobby was 150 feet by 40 feet with a twenty-five foot high ceiling. It was opened with a grand ball on New Years Day, 1 January 1892. Sadly, on the night of February 8th 1899, it burned down leaving only a couple of walls and the railway station. Miraculously no deaths were recorded. Despite pressure to rebuild it, the site remained empty until it became the site for the Winnipeg Exposition Building of 1912, and later the Federal Building of 1934/35.

Described in a booklet shortly after opening:

“EVEN those who are familiar with the rapid progress of the West are surprised at the magnificent hotel “THE MANITOBA,” at Winnipeg, which was completed and thrown open to the public on the first of January, 1892.

“THE MANITOBA” has a frontage of 216 feet on Main Street, Winnipeg’s principal thorough-fare, and is conveniently situated for both tourists and business men. The hotel is seven stories high, built of red brick faced with Lake Superior red sandstone, which gives a rich and massive appearance to the building. A charming view of the entire city of Winnipeg, with its beautiful streets and substantial business blocks, also the surrounding country, including the valleys of the Red and Assiniboin Rivers, can be had from the hotel tower.

Striking as is the appearance of the hotel from the outside, the interior is still well worthy of praise. Entering the rotunda either at the main entrance or through the lobbies from the portico, the visitor invariably halts to gaze around the splendid room and express astonishment and delight. The rotunda is forty by ninety feet, the ceiling and wainscoting being of white oak, blending perfectly with the frescoed walls, which are finished in buff shades. The office and news-stand occupy prominent positions facing the main entrance, the principal staircase being between the two.

A charming reception room, decorated in buff and gold, opens out of the rotunda at the one end, while from the opposite end an entrance is gained to the bright and cosy reading room. The cafe, billiard and smoking rooms adjoin the reading room and are fitted up in keeping with the rest of the house.

The ladies’ private staircase leads from the reception room to the drawing room on the second floor. Magnificent is the only word that will describe the drawing room. Opening from the corridor on the second floor is the dining hall, a room fifty feet wide and ninety feet long, with a twenty-six-foot ceiling. Three massive copper electroliers, supplemented by dozens of wall fixtures, shed a blaze of light throughout the hail, the effect being almost dazzling. Opposite the entrance, at the farthest end of the hall, is a stone fireplace capable of accommodating a good sized log, and in winter a cheery fire is kept blazing there which adds to the general appearance. Over the entrance is a tastefully designed balcony, which, on Saturday evenings, is occupied by an orchestra.

The cuisine is all that could be desired, and even an epicure could not find fault with the tempting dishes prepared under the direction of the French chef, who has charge of this department. Besides the large dining hall there are two smaller ones for private parties, each of which is richly decorated and finished.

The third and fourth floors are divided into handsome suites of rooms with fireplace, bath room and every convenience. The fifth, sixth and seventh floors all have bright and commodious rooms, luxuriantly carpeted and finished. Each floor has its own general toilet and bath rooms, and even on the upper floors many of the rooms have private baths adjoining. In the basement is a first-class barber shop with Turkish and ordinary baths in connection. The building is heated by steam and lighted by electricity.”