Heritage Winnipeg’s 39th Annual Preservation Awards were held on Thursday, April 10th, 2025, to celebrate the individuals and organizations who went above and beyond to conserve and restore Winnipeg’s built heritage!

This year’s ceremony was held in the main floor space at the Gregg Building Lofts on Albert Street, also one of our award recipients. It was a wonderful evening that showcased the hard work and dedication that make Winnipeg a vibrant and sustainable city filled with history and character!

Thank you to all the nominees and award winners for your dedication and passion towards conserving Winnipeg’s built heritage. Guests enjoyed a musical performance by local musician Geoff Erickson and a tour of the award-winning Gregg Building from the owner, Jay Knysh.

From left to right: Greg Agnew, Heritage Winnipeg President; Cindy Tugwell, Heritage Winnipeg Executive Director; and Shawn Dobson, City Councillor and Heritage Winnipeg Board Member, at the 2025 Annual Preservation Awards

Thanks to our 2025 Judging Committee – Bob Eastwood, Les Stechesen, Lisa Gardewine, Neil Einarson, and Roland Sawatzky – your expertise was invaluable. Also, thank you to this year’s sponsor, Priority Restoration, and the Heritage Winnipeg Board members for handing out the awards to the winners.

2025 Heritage Winnipeg Institutional Conservation Award

The University of Manitoba – Taché Hall

150 Dafoe Road West

Designed by Samuel Hooper and Victor Horwood and completed in 1912, Taché Hall was one of the original Fort Garry campus
buildings and operated as a student residence, initially designed for the Manitoba Agricultural College. The Georgian-style building became a well-loved fixture, housing University students until 2008. Beginning in 2013, Taché Hall underwent major renovations, becoming a new academic space for the Faculty of Music, the School of Art, and the theatre program. The redevelopment made use of the original residential layout, repurposing the space for its new life.

Representative for LM Architecture Group (right) and Heritage Winnipeg Board Member Nancy Klos (left). Not present: Patkau Architects and The University of Manitoba (owners). Source: Heritage Winnipeg

Click through the slides below to see images of Taché Hall.

2025 Heritage Winnipeg Residential Conservation Award

Glasgow House

34 Middle Gate in Armstrong’s Point

This historic home at 34 Middle Gate has been a staple of Armstrong’s Point since its construction in 1911. Designed by Cyril W. U. Chivers, the home is a fine example of craftsman style, with its limestone porch still intact. From the 1980s to the 2020s, the house was lovingly cared for by the Thomson family. In 2020, a chimney fire led to intense damage to the original woodwork, plasterwork, and finishes. The homeowners and Priority Restoration painstakingly restored each element and took the opportunity to replace the plumbing and wiring inside the house. Wins Bridgman, the current owner of the Glasgow House, nominated the Thomson family for this award in honour of their decades of dedication.

Wins Bridgman, current owner, accepting the award on behalf of previous owners Peter and Pat Thomson. Source: Heritage Winnipeg

Representative for Priority Restoration. Source: Heritage Winnipeg

Click through the slides below to see images of Glasgow House.

2025 Heritage Winnipeg Residential Conservation Award

Eusèbe Joseph Blais House

315 Victoria Avenue East

In 1913, this Queen Anne Revival Style home was designed by William Henry Girling for Eusebe Joseph Blais. Since its construction, the home has only changed hands twice, solidifying its position as the perfect Transcona family home. Blais house retains much of its original millwork, wood flooring, and leaded glass, including a 1936 addition of a 2-storey glazed front sun porch. As the only residential municipal heritage site in Transcona, the home has been lovingly cared for by its owner, Tania Steele, who takes great pride in the historic abode.

Tania Steele, Owner (right) and Heritage Winnipeg Board Member Matthew Jacobi (left). Source: Heritage Winnipeg

Click through the slides below to see images of Blais House.

2025 Heritage Winnipeg Distinguished Service Award

CN 2747 Steam Locomotive

735 Kildare Avenue West

As the first steam locomotive built in Western Canada by the Canadian National Railway, this 1926 train holds great historical significance. The engine worked in both Alberta and Manitoba until its retirement in 1960, when it was saved from becoming scrap and was given a home in Kiwanis Park (now Rotary Heritage Park). When it was acquired by the Transcona Museum in 2015, the train was in rough condition, plagued by vandalism, theft, and deterioration. Volunteers began working to preserve and repair the engine, making it possible for visitors to learn its history up close. An enclosure was designed to protect CN 2747 from damage, and the engine was officially reopened in July of 2024.

A representative from the Transcona Museum. Source: Heritage Winnipeg

A representative from Thomas Design Builders, architects for the CN 2747 enclosure. Source: Heritage Winnipeg

Click through the slides below to see images of CN 2747.

CN 2747 and the Transcona Museum will be participating in this year’s Doors Open Winnipeg event! Click here for more information.

2025 Heritage Winnipeg Residential Conservation Award

Gregg Building Lofts

52 Albert Street – in the Exchange District, a national historic site.

Designed by James Henry Cadham in 1904, the Gregg building is one of a collection of Romanesque Revival warehouses in the Exchange District National Historic Site. The warehouse was owned by salesman George Robinson Gregg and was home to the Winnipeg Branch of his import-export business for many decades. In 2019, the Gregg Building was acquired by Jay Knysh, who saw great potential in its sturdy foundation. It was then that he began converting the warehouse into residential suites with commercial suites, preserving and restoring the historic elements of the building. The Gregg Building Lofts officially opened in the fall of 2024, bringing new residents to the historic Exchange District.

Lanny Silver, Architect. Source: Heritage Winnipeg

Jay Knysh, Owner. Source: Heritage Winnipeg

Click through the slides below to see images of the Gregg Building.

Click here to read our blog post on the Gregg Building from July, 2024.