The Manitoba Club is

private club A club is an association of people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities. There are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious c ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

, Manitoba, Canada. Established as a gentleman's club in 1874, the Manitoba Club is the oldest private club in

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

History

On 16 July 1874, ten men met at the St. James Restaurant in Winnipeg to organize a

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album '' kelsea'' Brands and enterprise ...

where city leaders could meet and relax. The Manitoba Club was incorporated one month later, becoming the first private club in

. The first clubhouse was founded in a rented building. This building burned down in February 1875 when Winnipeg’s first steam fire engine, on its inaugural run, failed to get there in time. Within six weeks, a new location was found, serving the club for 6 years. The third clubhouse was owned by the club and located on Garry Street, later being sold to Donald E. McKenty for $30,000, and then sold again three weeks later to Fred Richardson for $35,000. Dignitaries who have visited the club include

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

, General William Tecumseh Sherman, Princes of Monaco,

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and

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, every

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through the 1940s, the British High Commissioner and many others. Sir Hugh John Macdonald, the son of Canada's first Prime Minister, served as President of the Manitoba Club from 1896 to 1899—shortly before the construction of its current location. Around this time, he also became the leader of the fledgling

Manitoba Conservative Party The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (french: Parti progressiste-conservateur du Manitoba) is a centre-right political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is currently the governing party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, after winnin ...

in 1897, and was elected the 8th

Premier of Manitoba The premier of Manitoba (french: premier ministre du Manitoba) is the first minister (i.e., head of government or chief executive) for the Canadian province of Manitoba—as well as the ''de facto'' President of the province's Executive Counci ...

in December 1899, as for

Winnipeg South Winnipeg South (french: Winnipeg-Sud) is a Canadian federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1917 to 1979, and since 1988. It covers the southernmost part of the city of W ...

. In November 1902, the Club purchased three lots at 194

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

from the

Hudson’s Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

for $8,000. The Club announced in April 1904 that it would be moving from 298 Garry Street to a new building at the corner of Broadway and Fort Street. Two months later, the building's foundation was laid. The neoclassical-style building was officially opened by Sir Albert Henry George Grey, 4th

Earl Grey Earl Grey is a title in the peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1806 for General Charles Grey, 1st Baron Grey. In 1801, he was given the title Baron Grey of Howick in the County of Northumberland, and in 1806 he was created Viscou ...

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...

, on 10 October 1905, and exists as the Club's current residence. The Institute for Stained Glass in Canada has documented the stained glass at the Manitoba Club. In 2017, the Club made plans to add a Cigar Room on the top floor. No other private club in Canada has such.

References

External links

Manitoba Club (website)

Historic Sites of Manitoba - Manitoba ClubArchiSeek.com - S. Frank Peters
(architect of the Manitoba Club) *https://www.winnipegarchitecture.ca/digital-tours/broadway/#group-1-stop-3 {{Manitoba-stub Clubs and societies in Canada Gentlemen's clubs in Canada Organizations based in Winnipeg 1874 establishments in Manitoba Culture of Winnipeg Organizations established in 1874

History

See also

References

External links