Recollections: Ma Sprague's

Dad once said quietly, "Everyone should experience living in a boarding house." I wish I knew precisely what he meant by that. It didn't sound like such a bad thing.

And he was certainly speaking from experience. When Dad moved from the farm to Winnipeg in 1946 to study at the Manitoba Technical Institute, he lived at Ma Sprague's, a boarding house at 225 Spence Street in downtown Winnipeg.

Ma Sprague's boarding house

The location is interesting. It's a 15-minute street car ride to the Manitoba Technical Institute at 1181 Portage Avenue (at Wall Street), where Dad was studying Tool & Die and Machine Shop.

The Manitoba Training Institute, a former Ford assembly plant.

(Source: Manitoba Historical Society)

But Ma Sprague's was convenient in other ways. Dad's little black book from his RCAF years tells us why.

A page from Dad's little black book, wartime edition.

That's right. Sweetheart Hazel Stevens lived in the Davidson Block, at Ste. 1 - 326 Young Street, Winnipeg, one street over and very close to 225 Spence Street.

Ma Sprague's was a four-minute walk from Hazel Stevens' home.

... and even closer if you rode your bike.

I suspect Mom was as much a factor in Dad's decision to move to Winnipeg as the chance to access training and employment.

Hazel Stevens, ca. 1945

Mom was living with her mother and youngest brother Wesley in a large apartment on Young Street, just off Portage Avenue and across from the CBC studios.

Hazel Stevens with her mother Zelma and brother Wes, early 1940s.

After graduating from Pilot Mound High School at age 16, Mom attended Success Business College in Winnipeg and then found work at Dale & Company Insurance. She was able to support her mother and brother.

Mom (back row, right) at Dale & Company Insurance, 1940s

The office staff

A Christmas photo at Dale & Company. Mom in the shadow, to the right of the tree.

Dad lived in Ma Sprague's boarding house until 1948, while he was training at MTI. It was a sensible, practical choice for a bachelor. A boarding house, as Wikipedia explains, "is a house (frequently a family home) in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months, and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide 'room and board,' that is, at least some meals as well as accommodation." A rooming house, on the other hand, provides space, but little else.

Hazel Stevens, in the suite at 326 Young Street

Dad didn't say much about his time at Ma Sprague's, but likely adapted well to life in a boarding house. After crowded barracks and the hard life on a farm, it must have seemed a very private and easy lifestyle for a young student. After several years apart, he and Mom were finally together and could resume their courtship.

Hazel Stevens, a frequent visitor to 225 Spence Street.

According to Dad, mail delivered to 225 Spence Street would be placed on the dining room table for the tenants. One day, aware that two small boys were secretly watching, Dad sulked, "I never get any mail!"

A few days later, the two boys were again eyeing the scene. Dad laid it on even thicker, pouting, fussing and stomping his foot. One of the boys turned to the other, exclaiming, "He did it again!"

Mom and Dad on the steps of Ma Sprague's boarding house.

By the fall of 1948, Dad had completed his training and landed a job at MacDonald Bros. Aircraft. By July of the following year, he and Mom married and settled in their own home in western Winnipeg.

MacDonald Bros. Aircraft, ca. 1948 (from Dad's album)

Zelma Stevens lived in the Young Street apartment from 1940 until her death in 1974. She sometimes rented out a room to students from the University of Winnipeg, just one street over. I wonder if her tenants called her Ma Stevens.

As for Ma Sprague's? It's still a boarding house today. The house may have lost its Victorian trim (and charm) with renovations over the years, but there's no mistaking it.

then...

and now.

A recent ad still offers rooms for rent, and reads as follows:

Newly Renovated, Fully Furnished Suites Located Downtown with AC in Winnipeg Manitoba

Bright, Spacious Third Floor Suite

Completely renovated character home containing six, self contained suites. All suites have private entrances, full kitchens and bathrooms. One bedroom, studios and full floor suites are available. Units range in size from 325 to 550 square feet. Suites are fully furnished with new furniture (leather couches / loveseats, pillow top mattresses), new appliances (full size fridges, microwaves, coffee makers), dishes, linens (towels, bedding), brand new 32"Samsung flat screen LCD HDTV, DVD player, etc. Everything required for you to live in the suite is provided - just bring your suitcase. All utilities (electric heat, air conditioning, separate hot water tank for each suite), cable TV, wireless internet, onsite laundry, etc. are included in the monthly rent.

Location is 225 Spence Street near Broadway Avenue on the west edge of downtown Winnipeg. One half block from major bus routes on Portage Avenue and Broadway Avenue. Nearby amenities include Portage Place Shopping Centre, Osborne Village (shops and restaurants), Great West Life, Investors Group, The Bay, University of Winnipeg, Red River College, etc. Suites are available for short or extended stays. Parking spots with plugs are available on-site ($50 per month).

No Smoking. No Pets. Rents start at $800 per month for the bachelor suites. One bedrooms, basement and full floor suites start at $1,000 per month. Refundable damage deposit of $750 is required.

If you are looking for no-stress accommodations in Winnipeg, these are for you. Additional pictures are available via email. Contact Jeff at (204) or email: jeff.meyer@smartplanit.ca for further information.