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Confederation Life Building
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The Toronto-based Confederation Life Company began its
operations in Winnipeg in 1879, growing to occupy its own
building by 1890. By 1912 it was inadequate for such a
large and prestigious enterprise. Constructed in 1912 during
a period of rapid urban expansion, the Confederation Life
Building is one of the city’s finest skyscrapers.
Designed by architect J. Wilson Gray of Toronto, the buildings’ unique
appearance is a curved façade that follows a bend
in Main Street. The ten storeys of steel and concrete
are sheathed in white terra cotta and a base of polished
granite, the structure is divided into three sections of
a base containing the ground and mezzanine floor, the mid-section
of offices set behind piers and large windows, and the
attic cornice.
