Pavilion

The Pavilion has been one of the centerpieces of Assiniboine Park throughout the Park’s history.  Designed by Winnipeg architect, J.D. Atchison, the original Pavilion was built in 1908.  It was a two-storey structure featuring a high tower and wide second floor balcony.  It housed a dance hall, banquet room, lunch and catering facilities.  The tower concealed a 16 000 gallon water tank.  At a construction cost of $19 000, the Pavilion was built for summer use only, and the quality of the structure did not match the quality of the design.  It was destroyed by fire in 1929 and all that remained was the pergola and lily basin to the North. 

The second Pavilion building was designed by local architectural firm Northwood and Chivers, and was constructed quickly over the next year, officially opening May 24, 1930.  The architects chose to imitate certain elements of early English architecture and gave the building a mock Tudor half-timbering, a bell tower, and a roof line reminiscent of thatching.  Once home to a second level restaurant and dining room, the second Pavilion fell into disuse and is remembered primarily as a seasonal facility with a canteen on the main level and a rental hall on the second level.

The Pavilion, beautifully restored and renovated, re-opened in October, 1998.