Broadway’s landscape had changed radically by the mid-20th century. The neighbourhood, once residential and then commercial, was steadily being modernized. Gone were the old brick offices and apartments, replaced by modern construction.

In Winnipeg, Smith, Carter, Searle and Associates were a talented firm, well-known for their modernist designs. Construction on new headquarters for Monarch Life Assurance Building began in 1960. The building sitting on a pedestal of dark marble, is made of steel beams and clad in limestone. Above the main floor glass walls, columns separate the long rows of windows.

The building construction had stadium seating set up for anyone wanting to watch. In 1964, the Monarch Life Building was a finalist for the Massey Medal for Architecture and is a landmark modernist building.

Monarch Life eventually left and in 1999, the Workers Compensation Department moved in.
Like many modernist buildings in Winnipeg, the cladding had begun to deteriorate by the early 2000s. Normally, cladding would be stripped and replaced. For the Monarch Life Building, though, it was decided to repair the cladding. Between 2011-13, 4,044 granite panels were removed and repaired before being placed back in their original position, preserving a distinctive part of Winnipeg’s architectural history.