Monarch Life Building
A point of interest on the Winnipeg's Wealthy Beginnings GPS-guided audio walking tour.
Press play & listen to the tour audio!
Audio Transcript
On your left sits a building that is very different from what we’ve been admiring so far!
All along this strip are examples of post-war design, a reflection of Winnipeg’s desire to revitalize its business sector. The Monarch Life Building, now Worker’s Compensation Board, was built in 1961.
Internationally recognized as Winnipeg’s breakthrough modernist structure, it was a finalist for the Massey Medal for Architecture.
Winnipeg was excited! There was so much public interest that bleachers were set up so spectators could watch as construction progressed.
And there was good reason for the interest, too. Two years had gone into its planning and design. The list of expectations for what The Monarch Life Building would represent was a long one, after all.
It was to showcase Monarch Life’s vision, and reflect the company's strength and confidence. It was also meant to express a belief in and commitment to Winnipeg. At the same time, it needed to put clients at ease and be a respectful workplace.
As a symbol of that respect, in the lobby, is a plaque with names of employees who served in WW11.
So much thought and talent went into The Monarch Life Building's design and construction that, when reno's were needed in 2011, all original materials and colours were sourced and used. Anything that could be numbered, saved and re-used was. That’s a big job and one that resulted in this building receiving Heritage Winnipeg’s Conservation Award.

Winnipeg's Wealthy Beginnings
This POI is featured on the Winnipeg's Wealthy Beginnings Audio Walking Tour, part of the Tripvia Tours mobile app available for Android & Apple.
All audio walking tours are self-guided and include fully narrated commentary.

Trivia Challenge
Each POI has a fun multiple choice trivia challenge you can test your skills on.
The trivia questions are separate from the commentary and completely optional.
The app keeps score for you so you can challenge your friends and family.
How it Works
hands free + audio
automatically plays
audio tours play based
on GPS location
fun trivia questions
add to the fun
easy navigation with
live GPS maps
professional tour guides
family friendly
no data used on tour
no signal required
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