At the time of the Telegram Building’s 1882 construction, it was one of the largest buildings in the neighbourhood. Built as a warehouse for R.J. Whitla’s dry goods company, the Victorian-era Italianate style structure was in the ideal location for a wholesale business.

The surrounding neighbourhood boasted markets, major roadways, and access to the railway lines with space to accommodate loading bays and larger trucks. The area served Whitla well, and in 1899 he moved to a larger warehouse.

It was then that the Telegram Printing Company moved in. The Telegram was a daily newspaper, founded in 1894, that railed against the Winnipeg Free Press and liberal politics, enjoying a circulation of 5,500 papers a week.

The Telegram is one of the taller buildings at the intersection of Albert Street and McDermot Avenue, and architect William Hodgson’s design is strikingly decorative. Divisions on the building, both vertical and horizontal, are created by belt courses and pilasters.

For the next twenty years, the Telegram operated on Albert Street – using its façade to display large headlines as they came in. They left in 1920, and the building resumed operation as a warehouse.

Today, the Telegram Building is used for retail and office space.