Section of Main Street reopens after Manwin Hotel fire

A vacant Main Street hotel with a checkered past has burned to the ground. Jeff Keele reports

A section of Main Street that was shut down to traffic for hours as emergency crews battled a fire has since reopened.

The City of Winnipeg told CTV News on Thursday that Main Street is open in all directions ahead of the morning commute.

A large section was closed most of Wednesday as 20 firefighters battled a fire that ripped through the historic Manwin Hotel and evacuated adjacent buildings, including Main Street Project’s shelter.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Chief Christian Schmidt said at a news conference on Wednesday that the building is a total loss.

Demolition has already begun on the hotel, costs of which will be added to the owner’s property tax bill, as fire officials investigate the cause of the blaze.

According to the Manitoba Historical Society, the building now known as the Manwin Hotel was initially built in 1882. It was then known as Walker House, with new names and subsequent additions added in the many decades since.

It was temporarily closed multiple times in recent years for health and safety hazards and was the site of several homicides.

Tenants were ordered out due to a vacancy order in January of 2025.

The building was subsequently put up for sale in April for $2.8 million.

- With files from CTV’s Jeff Keele