Vignettes
/ Exchange
District / Bannatyne
Bright and Johnson/Mackenzie Block
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Bright and Johnston, wholesale grocers, were one of many
companies to take advantage of Winnipeg’s growth
as a trade and distribution center. Albert Bright had previously
operated a liquor store at King Street and Logan Avenue.
Kenneth John Johnston had move to the city in 1882.
Together, they acquired and renovated a three-storey warehouse
at 137 Bannatyne Avenue. Its closeness to a railway spur
line made it an attractive location for handling their goods.
Success brought the need for a larger facility and in 1903
John H.G. Russell designed the four-storey structure at 141
Bannatyne Avenue. Built for $23,160 by Phillip Burnett and
S.B. Ritchie, the complex became known as the Bright and
Johnston Building.
