St. Boniface Waterworks Water Tower
552 Plinguet Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2J, Canada
Formally Recognized:
1995/11/10
Other Name(s)
St. Boniface Waterworks Water Tower
St. Boniface Water Tower
Château d'eau de Saint-Boniface
Links and documents
Construction Date(s)
1936/01/01 to 1936/12/31
Listed on the Canadian Register:
2007/10/29
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The
St. Boniface Waterworks Water Tower, a large elevated steel storage tank built in 1936 and extended upward
in 1945, is located in a sprawling municipal compound in an industrial area of east Winnipeg. The City
of Winnipeg designation applies to the tower on its footprint.
Heritage Value
The St. Boniface Waterworks
Water Tower, a black steel tank atop a tall free-standing steel frame, is a highly visible landmark and
rare example of municipal infrastructure remaining from the period before St. Boniface amalgamated with
metropolitan Winnipeg in 1972. The tower recalls the French-speaking community's efforts to attract
investment and residents by establishing an early waterworks system (1904-12) that pumped water from
artesian wells into concrete and underground reservoirs and into a tower for gravity feed through a network
of distribution mains. After 1919, when a more plentiful and consistent supply of water became available
through the Greater Winnipeg Water District (GWWD) aqueduct from Shoal Lake, St. Boniface continued to
use elevated tank storage to boost local water pressure during periods of high demand.
Source: City
of Winnipeg Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development Minutes, June 26, 2001
Character-Defining Elements
Key elements that define the landmark character of the St. Boniface Waterworks Water
Tower site include:
- the structure's prominence on the skyline of northeast St. Boniface, clearly
visible for substantial distances in all directions
- the location within an historic municipal waterworks
compound that also includes the terminus and repair shops of the GWWD rail line and another designated
structure, the GWWD Railway Station
Key elements that define the water tower's industrial nature
and municipal function include:
- the 454,000-litre black storage tank of steel construction, 6.4 metres
high, with a hemispherical base, shallow conical roof and 'CITY OF ST. BONIFACE' painted on
its north and south faces
- the steel-framed tower, 45.8 metres high, with four legs anchored in concrete
and stabilized by cross-braces and diagonal steel cables
- utilitarian details such as the simple metal
service ladder, the tank's catwalk with a latticed guardrail, the spherical rooftop water level
indicator, etc.
Recognition
Jurisdiction
Manitoba
Recognition Authority
City of Winnipeg
Recognition Statute
City of Winnipeg Act
Recognition Type
Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure
Recognition Date
1995/11/10
Historical Information
Significant Date(s)
1945/01/01 to 1945/12/31
Theme - Category and Type
- Developing Economies
- Technology and Engineering
Function - Category and Type
Current
- Industry
- Communications Facility
Historic
- Industry
- Water or Sewage Facility
Architect / Designer
n/a
Builder
n/a
Additional Information
Location of Supporting Documentation
15-30 Fort Street Winnipeg Manitoba
Cross-Reference to Collection
Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier
W0205
Status
Published
Related Places
n/a