1909 – McArthur / Childs Building, Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

Previously known as the McArthur Building. The architect John H.G. Russell took offices on a higher floor. For many years Winnipeg’s tallest tower, demolished along with its neighbouring buildings, the Nanton Building and the Bank of Toronto, in the early 1980s to make way for a skyscraper development.

The rapid growth of Winnipeg from a commercial standpoint, as is seen in the many substantial business buildings erected within the past few years, is further evident in the new twelve-story McArthur Building now under construction on Portage Avenue, close to the corner of Main St., the principal thoroughfare in the business district. This building, which when completed will be the highest structure in the city, is of the modern steel frame type with tile arched floors, fireproof partitions, and a facade of white glazed terra cotta. It will provide store accommodations on the ground floor, with offices above, the suites being so arranged as to insure the maximum degree of light to all interiors, thus making ideal office quarters. The central portion of the building will rise to a height of thirteen stories, to provide for the overhead apparatus of the high speed elevators, together with janitor’s apartments, and store room facilities. At the present time, the structure is being enclosed, and the contractors are making excellent progress in the execution of their work. All the steel work is to be fully protected at every part, making the building absolutely fireproof, and the interior throughout will be modern in the character of its appointments, the .sanitary appliances and general fittings being of the most approved pattern and type. A feature of the building will be its splendid power and machinery equipment, as not only will it be provided with its own plant for power, lighting, ventilation and heating, but it will also contain its own water supply system as well. The designing and supervising architect of the building is J.H.G. Russell, and the consulting engineer of mechanical equipment, Mr. Chas. T. Pillsbury, the work of erecting the building being executed by the Carter-Halls-Aldinger Company, contractors and engineers.
Construction, December 1909

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