The Old Winnipeg City Hall
It was called as the "gingerbread" building, built in Victorian grandeur, and symbolized Winnipeg's coming of age at the end of the 19th century.
The very first Winnipeg City Hall was constructed through the concert aid of the Winnipeg General Hospital in 1876. It was built at a cost of almost $40,000.
The plan for second City Hall appeared in the daily papers on June 16, 1883.However; the whole construction process was surrounded by lots of controversies. Nevertheless, the building was completed in 1886 and was considered a “Victorian fantasy”.
In 1913, the committee of Winnipeg’s City Planning Commission recommended that new civic centre should be made. So, a design contest for the next city hall was held. More that thirty entries were made and submitted. In the end, the first place was taken by the firm of Clemesha and Portnall of Regina. The design was Greek inspired and the structure was to be six stories in height.
