fbpx
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

July 25, 2024

“Come, let us sing for joy…”: St. Michael and All Angels Church

(Header image: St. Michael and All Angels Church, postcard, after 1920, from the Rob McInnes Postcard Collection, Public Domain. Accessed via pastforward.winnipeg.ca.)

In June of 2024, St. Michael and All Angels Church was purchased by Mark Chipman of True North Sports and Entertainment. The historic Anglo-Catholic church will be the new home of local recording label Birthday Cake Records, who will continue to share the space with the congregation.

Chipman has been connected with Birthday Cake Records since 2019, when he provided them with a small office space on the third floor of the Burton Cummings Theatre. Since then, the label has grown to represent almost 30 artists and have been in need of a larger space.

While St. Michael’s Church was never officially for sale, the parish has struggled financially since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thankfully, a friend of the congregation mentioned this to Dave and Joey Landreth, members of The Bros. Landreth, a group represented by Birthday Cake Records. The Bros. Landreth brought the information to Chipman and he immediately began working on a deal.

St. Michael and All Angels Church at 300 Hugo Street North was built in 1920 and was designed by H.W. Greene. The building is a rare example of Norman style, which combines elements of Roman, Byzantine, and Viking design. Interior rehabilitation of the church has been ongoing since a 1970 fire, and the exterior is in magnificent condition. St. Michael’s Church received heritage designation from the City of Winnipeg in 1989, and has continued to serve its parish, which was organized in 1904.

Chipman’s passion for the Winnipeg music scene is what drove this purchase. He hopes that the building can become a collaborative space for local artists while still serving its congregation. The Bros. Landreth plan to record their next album within the church, utilizing the unique acoustics of every room and corner.

As religious facilities across the country struggle with the upkeep of their historic properties, this resolution provides a beautiful example of partnerships and adaptive reuse. The reverberant church sanctuary, office rooms and gathering spaces will allow Birthday Cake Records to function in the space with little-to-no alterations. Applying secular uses to historic religious buildings is beneficial to both groups. For members of the general public, it provides a more inviting opportunity to experience the building’s unique architecture. For the church congregation, it gives them a chance to connect with the community and share in the beauty of the building.

Heritage Winnipeg would like to congratulate Mark Chipman, Birthday Cake Records, and the parish of St. Michael and All Angels Anglo-Catholic Church on the exciting news. This will have such a positive impact for all the involved parties, as well as the heritage and arts communities as a whole.

Sources

Searle, Tyler. “Music-lover Chipman brings salvation to Bros. Landreth, struggling parish” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 July 2024.

“St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church” Canada’s Historic Places.

logo

 / Recent News

July 29, 2025

A Magical Evening Awaits!

Tickets for Heritage Winnipeg’s 2025 Fall Fundraiser, Magician & The Muse, are now on sale! Join us for a spellbinding event on Friday, October 3rd, 2025 in the magnificent Millennium Centre at 389 Main Street. This year we are excited to be presenting a world class magic show featuring Masters of Illusion Sean Watson and…

July 18, 2025

Our Heritage is Worth it!

On July 4, 2025, the City of Winnipeg’s Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development voted in support of increasing the budget for the conservation of the 1905 Carnegie Library at 380 William Avenue by $3.5 million. The city originally planned to spend $12.7 million conserving the library, but market conditions have driven the cost…

July 15, 2025

Bigger, But Not Better

On July 14th, 2025, Winnipeg’s City Council approved construction of a 168 foot residential tower on King Street as part of phase two of the Market Lands project. It will be built on the site which included of the former 1966 Public Safety Building at 151 Princess Street. While the property is surrounded by built…

July 14, 2025

Another Smiling Face

Heritage Winnipeg would like to thank Robert Baxter for his generous donation of a Tribune Building shard. This shard, salvaged from the facade of the 1914 structure at 257 Smith Street in 1969, is the second of 14 terracotta heads from the Tribune Building to find a home in our office. We hope the two…

June 27, 2025

Portage & Main: Open After 46 Years

Portage & Main officially opened to pedestrians on June 27! This marks the first time in 46 years that pedestrians are allowed to cross the intersection. The prospect of this reopening has long been a topic of debate. For nearly five decades, concrete barriers prevented Winnipegers from crossing the corners of these roads, known as…

June 25, 2025

Meet the Winners of Doors Open 2025!

Results are in, and we’ve found our winners! Heritage Winnipeg is proud to present the winners of Doors Open 2025! A special thanks to all of the hosts and volunteers for their amazing work during the weekend, making it possible to share the stories that our buildings tell. Another thank you goes out to everyone…

Subscribe to Heritage Winnipeg Blog