The noble entrance is flanked by four grand Ionic columns. Above is a great dome with Corinthian columns, topped by Winnipeg’s favourite work of art, The Golden Boy. Decorative glazing is visible in three windows of the dome. This is the third building used by Manitoba’s legislative assembly, the first being the home of A.G.B. Bannatyne. The second stood on the same grounds before being replaced with the current building. In 1911, the Manitoba government announced an architectural competition open to architects in the British Empire. A prize of $10,000 was offered for the best design for the new Legislature. Of the 67 submissions, a Beaux Arts design by the English architect Frank Worthington Simon was chosen.
The chief material is Tyndall stone, a fossil-rich limestone quarried about 20 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Three years later, on June 3, 1914, the north-east cornerstone ceremony, (usually laid by masons,) was laid by Thomas Kelly, the contractor. Due to World War I in 1914 causing a shortage of material, labour and funds, the construction of the massive building was slowed and was not ready for partial occupancy until 1919. On July 15, 1920, the province’s 50th anniversary date, opening ceremonies were performed by Sir James Aikins, then Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba.
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