I remember that; some nutcase arsonist. Note the Winnipeg 1874-1974 Centennial things on the light standards.
I remember those icicles. That was perhaps the last great fire of the pre-smoke detector era. So many people died in there. And one of the greatest apartment buildings in the city was lost. It would look pretty good there now instead of that prefab Wawanesa highrise.
I just made up that date, Adrian. I have no idea although there is a car visible that looks like maybe 1952, plus or minus a few years. The catalogue it's from says that the photos mostly came from the 50s and 60s, I think.