Historical Winnipeg discussion

[theruler462]

Winnipeg is Canada Life's corporate headquarters. The office of the CEO is here and Winnipeg is indicated as the head office on the newly designed insurance policy cover pages, actually replacing Toronto which was indicated on the old covers. I believe it is a legislative requirement for insurance companies to indicate the location of the head office on some/most of their branded paperwork.

[DavefromSt.Vital]

Great West bought Canada Life back in 2003. The only recent change has been to convert from multiple brands (Great West Life, Canada Life, London Life, etc.) all doing essentially the same thing to one common brand (Canada Life).

[theruler462]

It's a little more than just a brand consolidation. Great-West Life, Canada Life and London Life were three distinct entities operating under Great-West Life Co. As of January 1, 2020, the three companies have now legally amalgamated following a vote of eligible policy holders into the Canada Life Assurance Company.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

^^^

I guess what postponed the residential and commercial developments was the early 1980s recession. No reason why Canada Life couldn't dust off the original plan and construct it now.

Isn't there some kind of plans that went through city clerks recently? Not as grandiose as those plans.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

^^^

I guess what postponed the residential and commercial developments was the early 1980s recession. No reason why Canada Life couldn't dust off the original plan and construct it now.

Thanks for shedding some light on that project with the article that you posted.

[LilZebra]

You're welcome.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by theruler462

Winnipeg is Canada Life's corporate headquarters. The office of the CEO is here and Winnipeg is indicated as the head office on the newly designed insurance policy cover pages, actually replacing Toronto which was indicated on the old covers. I believe it is a legislative requirement for insurance companies to indicate the location of the head office on some/most of their branded paperwork.

There is a difference between Head Office and Administrative office.

If you look at MPI the NDP gov't moved their "head office" to Brandon years ago as part of the move departments out of Winnipeg program, but all the Execuative staff and back office departments that make MPI function are here in Winnipeg at City Place.

Wawanesa Insurance I believe is the same way. Head office in Wawanesa but most of the real work gets done here in Winnipeg.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by cllew

There is a difference between Head Office and Administrative office.

If you look at MPI the NDP gov't moved their "head office" to Brandon years ago as part of the move departments out of Winnipeg program, but all the Execuative staff and back office departments that make MPI function are here in Winnipeg at City Place.

Wawanesa Insurance I believe is the same way. Head office in Wawanesa but most of the real work gets done here in Winnipeg.

What you said regarding Wawanesa is consistent with my understanding, but according to MPI's annual report the corporation's "registered office" is at 234 Donald St. There is no mention of a "head office" at all.

[SKYSTHELIMIT]

[/B]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

Moloney, Paul (September 12, 1979). "New complex hailed as major job builder". Winnipeg Free Press. p. 24.


The developer of a $62 million office building and housing and retail/commercial complex on land owned by Great-West Life Assurance Company near Osborne St. and Broadway says the project will create 200-400 jobs during the construction period.

Work will begin immediately on the $10 million office building for use by Great-West while the other sectors will be phased in over a period of time, said Donald Love, chairman of Oxford Development Group Ltd. of Edmonton.

Love added he hoped the housing and retail/commercial components will be built without delay but a construction start hinges on market conditions.

Love said the starting date is flexible, adding Oxford would hope to bring the project on stream at a time when demand is buoyant for housing and retail space.

"We'd like to get them going as soon as possible. I would hope we'd complete it in five years, but the market will decide that," Love said.

Good news

Oxford is developing the housing/retail project in a joint venture with Great-West Life, which has owned the land for many years.

Harvey Patterson, executive-secretary of the Winnipeg Labour Council, said the development "has got to be good news because the construction trades have been in the doldrums in the past 18 months."

...

This part of the project, which will be managed by Oxford, but wholly owned by Great-West, should be completed in 1981.

Great-West and Oxford plan to build about 160,000 square feet of retail shops and commercial space fronting on the south side of Broadway between Colony and Balmoral Streets.

Immediately south of this development, the partners will erect about 350 units of apartments, townhouses and condominiums stretching south to Mostyn Place, a street which runs alongside the Assiniboine River.

Parking will be provided under the residential phase.

Over the longer term, Great-West sketched in plans to build a long, rectangular office building immediately behind the current head office building.

A go-ahead on the work hinges on development of a need for office space in addition to the 220,000 square feet contained in the existing head office, and the 125,000 square feet planned for the new headquarters building.

Office space needed

The decision to build additional office space near the existing building means Great-West Life has abandoned any ideas of moving its headquarters to the proposed East Yards development at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.

Is there any renders what this East Yards development was proposed to look like? Or was this just the very beginnings of the Forks and ideas being bounced around.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by SKYSTHELIMIT

[/B]

Is there any renders what this East Yards development was proposed to look like? Or was this just the very beginnings of the Forks and ideas being bounced around.

That era of the late 70s would have been the early years of contemplating what to do with the East Yards. There were many concepts floated but plans didn't really take shape until the mid 80s.

I would imagine there were a lot of trial balloons being floated and a lot of tires being kicked before The Forks as we know it came into being in the mid to late 80s.

[davequanbury]

Originally Posted by TimeFadesAway

Where is this photo taken? It is well east of the GWL HQ site because you can see the east wall of the Roslyn in the background. Also, what is the large building in the top left corner that seems to have turrets?

You can see Granite curling club in the photo peeking out above the house on the left side, that should help orient you.

the building with the turrets is the old Victoria hospital, now the River Manor apts at Bole and River.

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.8798...7i13312!8i6656

[joe denisovan]

the building with the turrets is the old Victoria hospital, now the River Manor apts at Bole and River. ][/QUOTE]
I was thinking it was St Augustine Church

[trueviking]

Just realized that cool little triangle building was part of the original plan. Looks like it was to be part of something bigger. I’ve always wondered about that building. I wonder what that was supposed to be.

[plrh]

It would suck to have an office with a 45 degree corner. They must put the people they don't like out there.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by plrh

It would suck to have an office with a 45 degree corner. They must put the people they don't like out there.

My sister worked in that building in the 2000s. She never complained.

I rode with her a coupe of times at rush hour. Big issue was traffic rolling at a crawl on Broadway.

[plrh]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

My sister worked in that building in the 2000s. She never complained.

I rode with her a coupe of times at rush hour. Big issue was traffic rolling at a crawl on Broadway.

I would love to work there (location, not for GWL), but the business I am in is confined to industrial parks at best.

Did your sister get a triangular desk to fit in the corner?

[esquire]

If you had your back to the triangle and a desk facing out, it would be pretty boss. It would be like a corner office plus. I would feel like some kind of heavy hitter mogul/tycoon in that setting, even if I was only the assistant (to the) regional manager.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by esquire

What you said regarding Wawanesa is consistent with my understanding, but according to MPI's annual report the corporation's "registered office" is at 234 Donald St. There is no mention of a "head office" at all.

“Head office” isn’t a legal concept, so it wouldn’t likely be used in an annual report.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Andy6

“Head office” isn’t a legal concept, so it wouldn’t likely be used in an annual report.

Be that as it may, MPI has referenced their head office location in past annual reports, and Wawanesa continues to reference their head office location in current annual reports.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by esquire

What you said regarding Wawanesa is consistent with my understanding, but according to MPI's annual report the corporation's "registered office" is at 234 Donald St. There is no mention of a "head office" at all.

Then things must of quietly changed after 2010 as in that annual report Brandon was still listed as the head office and SRE offices. City Place was listed Administrative office only.

Since 2011 both City Place and Brandon are listed as administrative offices in the annual reports.