Found at over ten location in the city (719 St Matthews Avenue, 893 Portage Avenue,1849 Portage Avenue, 47 Arlington Street, 595 Broadway, 1 St Anne's Road, 222 St Mary's Road, 97 Osborne Street, 535 Osborne Street, 247 Lilac Street, as well as locations on Sargent, Regent, Sherbrook and Cumberland and a possible location at 775 St Matthews Avenue) these buildings can be noticed from some distance by their distinctive roof line. Rendered in what appears to be a metal imitation of a tile roof, this feature seems almost too idiosyncratic to define as any particular style, though it perhaps can be best categorised as Spanish Colonial Revival. This categorisation is strengthened by a picture in the civic archives of the 1 St Anne’s Road location flooded out in the 1950 flood which shows the building having a large sweep of flat stucco directly beneath the roof. They are charactised by the use of brick for sides, with the main open space in all having been modified and thus varying between the examples. Most still are topped with decorative and idiosyncratic peaks at the left and right sides, with this generally still accompanied below with a shield-like crest, perhaps some kind of early Safeway logo, though as of yet their is no documentation of this.
According to a brief mention in a Manitoba History article from spring 1987, these roofs were also red, again enforcing this categorisation. (Patterson, “Transcona”) One may attempt to make suppositions about why this style was chosen – the Safeway chain originates in California, seen as the home of this style – but such efforts are largely in vain when considering the lack of concrete information. What one can state is that it is likely this style was chosen to appear distinct from the street, as it still does today. This would aid in capturing the attention of consumers and the creation of an image and identity for the company in this new market.
Images
719 St Matthews Avenue at Beverley Street (now Pal's Supermarket)
719 St Matthews Avenue (side detail; note: this Safeway is currently the most intact in terms of remaining architectural detailing on the sides)
719 St Matthews Avenue (side detail)
893 Portage Avenue
1849 Portage Avenue (now the Good Earth Chop Suey House)
47 Arlington Street (currently residential)
595 Broadway
1 St Anne's Road (now MacDonald's Television and Appliance)
222 St Mary's Road
222 St Mary's Road (detail of trademark Safeway crest; note: the distinctive roof of these Safeways has here been removed)
535 Osborne Street (now Jade Inn Chinese Food and Clubhouse Pizza)
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