MHM Garry Telephone Exchange - Winnipeg MB
Posted by: 
PeterNoG
N 49° 53.896 W 097° 08.691
14U E 633229 N 5528969
This Manitoba Historical Marker is the Garry Telephone Exchange Building on Hargrave Street at McDermot Avenue in Winnipeg,
Waymark Code: WMD1FX
Location: Manitoba, Canada
Date Posted: 11/06/2011
Views: 2
Designed by provincial architect Samuel Hooper, this was the first exchange erected by Manitoba Government Telephones which was the first provincially owned telephone system in Canada. It was also the Head Office of Manitoba Government Telephones until 1932 but continued to serve as an exchange until the 1950s.
It was a clothing factory for 30 years and in the late 1980s it was converted into residential units by the Housing Co-op (Manitoba) Ltd who continues to manage the building today.
Marker Name: Garry Telephone Exchange
Agency: Manitoba Heritage Council
Languages: English, French
Location:
474 Hargrave Street
Winnipeg MB
R3A 0X5
Marker Text:
Until l906, many small, competing telephone companies provided unreliable service to Manitobans. Recognizing the growing importance of communications, the Conservative government of Sir Rodmond Roblin created Manitoba Government Telephones as the first provincially owned telephone system in Canada. Creation of this public utility marked a significant step in the emergence of a mixed public and private economy in Manitoba.
This building, designed by Provincial Architect Samuel Hooper, was begun in l907 and was the first exchange erected by the new company. It served as headquarters and as a visual symbol of the Manitoba Telephone System until l932, when head office demands outgrew the building. Following the construction of new headquarters on Portage Avenue East, the "Garry" continued to function as one of the main downtown exchanges.
Declared surplus in l952, the "Garry" was converted into a garment factory two years later. During l986–87, this building was converted to cooperative housing.
Website: [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca or mhs.mb.ca: [Web Link]
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