On Saturday, November 9th, 2024, the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation presented its first ever Legacy Award to architect Leslie J. Stechesen in the historic Chamber of Commerce Building at 177 Lombard Avenue. The award celebrates over 60 years of achievement, with Stechesen contributing to the community through innovative building design and built heritage conservation. Heritage Winnipeg’s Executive Director, Cindy Tugwell, attended the event where she spoke about Stechesen’s involvement in the heritage movement over the years. Having designed more than 100 buildings, big and small, Stechesen’s work spans a multitude of styles, has won many awards and can be found throughout Winnipeg and beyond. Now a retired architect, Stechesen continues to share his knowledge and expertise as a long time board member of the Millennium Centre, the 1912 former Bank of Commerce Building at 398 Main Street that operates as a nonprofit event space. Thanks to his creative and courageous designs, energetic and inspired approaches, and willingness to see challenges as opportunities, our city is a more beautiful and vibrant place to live. Congratulations to Stechesen for winning the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation Legacy Award, it is well deserved!

After graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Manitoba in 1957, Stechesen started his career as an architect working for the Winnipeg firm of Waisman Ross. Along with attending grad school in London and working independently, Stechesen would go on to work for various other organizations, most notably the architecture firm of Libling Michener and Associates and the Province of Manitoba. Many of the projects he worked on became Massey Award winners, in addition to winning the 1974 Manitoba Design Institute Award of Excellence, the 1977 Heritage Canada Honour Award, the 1984 Premier’s Award for Design Excellence, the 1986 Heritage Winnipeg Preservation Award for Excellence – Residential Conservation Award, the 2002 Prairie Design Award and more! Some of Stechesen’s most memorable projects include St. John Brebeuf Roman Catholic Church (1707 John Brebeuf Place), The Courtyard (100 Osborne Street), Leaf Rapids Town Centre and the now demolished Public Safety Building (formerly at 151 Princess Street). In addition to working on built heritage projects, Stechesen also spent 20 years as a consultant for the City of Winnipeg’s Historic Winnipeg Advisory Committee (now the Historical Buildings and Resources Committee). Architecture has been a long and rewarding career for Stechesen, who has designed a legacy of handsome buildings ready to become the next generation of prized built heritage!