Demolition of 110-year-old warehouse will make way for new Brandon bridge
5-storey building opened in 1911 and served many purposes over the years
Its history spans more than a century, but a building with a storied past in Brandon, Man., will soon be nothing more than rubble.
Known by some as the International Harvester Building — named for the agriculture equipment company that built it — the five-storey warehouse has stood on the corner of 18th Street and Pacific Avenue since 1911.
"It is a tangible reminder that Brandon was founded on agriculture," said Gordon Goldsborough, with the Manitoba Historical Society.
The structure is being demolished to make room for a new $65-million four-lane bridge over the CP Rail lines.
It first opened in 1911 as the western headquarters of International Harvester. It was later home to a poultry processor, which, among other things, turned local ducks, geese and chickens into stuffing for pillows and cushions.
Up until last year, it was used as a storage facility for a local furniture retailer.
Alyssa Wowchuk, administrator of the Brandon General Museum and Archives, had a chance to go inside not long before demolition crews moved in.
"The structure of the building is all very open concept," she said.
"I want to say it probably looked a lot like what it did during the time of the International Harvester company."
Exposed brick was visible in many areas, some floors were wide open and a few artifacts had been left behind, she said.
Blueprints for the poultry processor were recovered, as were an old punch clock, an Employment Standards Act guide that dates back to the 1960s and letters.
Goldsborough said the former warehouse was on the Manitoba Historical Society's list of the 10 most endangered buildings in Manitoba. The nine that will remain after the demolition are at immediate risk, he said.
"It's one less reminder of our history," said Goldsborough. "We'll just have to redouble our efforts for other buildings."
The demolition has gathered small crowds since it began on Monday — people watching at a distance in their cars, some getting out to take pictures.
Reaction has been mixed, Wowchuk said.
"A lot of people are feeling nostalgic," she said. "When they took down the 'Home of the Wheat Kings' sign, a lot of people started clicking in that this is not going to be a landmark here anymore.
"But you also have another side — a lot of people are calling it an eyesore and are kind of glad to see it gone."
She now hopes the museum can secure a few bricks from the building to preserve its long legacy.
Construction on the new four-lane bridge is set to begin this spring, with completion sometime in late 2023.
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