Dominion Public Buildings

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

I'm not sure if it's a Dominion Public Building, but Vancouver's old post office was built in the same characteristic style and is now occupied by Federal Government offices (including the city's main passport issuing office). Today it's called the Sinclair centre:



Here are some other post offices/Federal buildings of the era.

Lethbridge, AB:



Moose Jaw, SK:



Regina:



Brantford, ON:

Sinclair and Regina's look great!

*****

We don't have a Dominion Public Building, obviously.

The only one I can think of that could be of interest is the former Merchant's Bank of Nova Scotia.



In 1894, Newfoundland's financial system collapsed (our history is like one giant, slow-motion fuckup. I'm surprised "cod republic" isn't a synonym for "banana republic"). The Central, Union, and Commercial banks all closed. Foreign banks were invited to step in under special emergency provisions.

The first to do so was the Merchant's Bank of Halifax, which later changed its name to the Royal Bank of Canada in 1901.

Their branch in St. John's opened in 1895, though the building itself was completed two years previous for another purpose, and was their first foreign branch. However, the exterior was changed significantly by RBC - probably enough to qualify it as Canada's first construction in the city.

[Andy6]

According to this website, Winnipeg's Federal Building (and presumably most of the others) was a make-work project built under the Public Works Construction Act, 1934. Another make-work project was the Civic Auditorium, now the Public Archives of Manitoba, which is Winnipeg's other major large art deco building. They used local architects, which is surprising given the similarity of the various buildings, but maybe they were constrained within certain requirements as to style.

http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-...u.aspx?id=2967


Historical Value

The Federal Building is one of the largest buildings constructed under Canada’s Public Works Construction Act of 1934 and represents a new type of office building that efficiently housed several departments under one roof. It was also one of a very few buildings constructed in Winnipeg during the Depression era and is one of the best examples of construction intended to alleviate the immediate and pressing problem of unemployment in Winnipeg. It was built as part of the 1932 unemployment relief program of the City of Winnipeg, employing all with the exception of one, local or provincial companies as general and sub-contractors. The influx of 1.5 million dollars in contracts plus significant numbers of jobs was a considerable benefit to the City of Winnipeg.

Architectural Value

The Federal building is an excellent example of Classical Moderne Style reflected in the building’s massing, pronounced horizontality and contrasting verticality of the tower and its construction materials and craftsmanship. Its formal and symmetrical composition, exterior elevations, regionally inspired decoration, significant interior features and the use of Canadian materials characterize the building. Designed by George William Northwood a Winnipeg architect with the firm Northwood and Chivers, the building is one of the best examples of their public works and one of their largest commissions out of a number of notable Winnipeg private and public buildings constructed in the post World War I period.

[Empire]

Originally Posted by Hali87

I've noticed that many Canadian cities have "Dominion Public" Buildings; these are generally nice, large art deco buildings and were presumably built to house federal government offices. Many of them still operate as office buildings but some have been converted to condos or other uses. Does anyone know the full story behind these buildings? Have any been demolished? Do any cities have more than one?

Here's Halifax's, completed in 1936. Initially it was home to federal government offices and the central post office for Halifax; no longer a post office, it is now offices for the RCMP and the federal Public Works department. I think the atrium and the ~6-storey section were later additions:


Source


Source


Source

A few more pics of the Dominion Public Building Halifax:


Source: Empire

Source: Empire


Source: Empire

The atrium:

Source: Empire

View from the atrium:

Source: Empire

View from the atrium:

Source: Empire


Source: Empire

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

More than 300 hits on the registrar: http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/resu...%20building%22


Here is Calgary's around 1930:

Wow, I walk by this building every day and never noticed the cut-out part before...

[matt602]

The inside of the public building in Halifax is almost identical to the one in Hamilton, right down to the brass furniture and marble everywhere. Ours is the main provincial courthouse in the area so to even enter the building you have to go through metal detectors but once you're in the building, the old post office part still has all the fancy stuff. They restored and kept it all in there when the province of Ontario renovated the building in the 90's. Even the original brass elevators were kept in modern service. They're awesome to ride.

[red-paladin]

I love the four buildings that have been combined to create Sinclair Centre in Downtown Vancouver