National Historic Site of Canada

Dominion Exhibition Display Building Nº 2 National Historic Site of Canada

Brandon, Manitoba

Also known as Dominion Exhibition Display Building Nº 2, Pavillon nº2 de l'Exposition du Dominion

Front view of the Dominion Exhibition Display Building Nº 2

Front view of the Dominion Exhibition Display Building Nº 2

Photo: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada

Built
1913
Recognized
1999
By
Government of Canada

The register’s text, word for word

Description

Dominion Exhibition Display Building Nº 2 is a stately wooden exhibition building located in the midst of the City of Brandon’s exhibition grounds. The structure’s scale, materials and classical elements proclaim its early 20th-century origins.

Heritage value

Dominion Exhibition Display Building Nº 2 was designated a national historic site of Canada because:

  • it is the only known surviving building constructed for the Dominion Exhibition held annually from 1879-1914;
  • it is located in a city which was, and continues to be, a focal point and important centre in the agricultural development of the west;
  • it is a good example of the exhibition halls inspired by the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893; and
  • it has clear roots in the tradition and style of exhibition halls, and expresses very well the exuberance and monumentality of its Beaux-Arts models.

Designed by architects Shillinglaw and Marshall, this grand Beaux-Arts-style building was constructed in 1913 for agricultural display at the annual Dominion Exhibition, an initiative of the Department of Agriculture.

SourceHistoric Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, December 1998.

Character‑defining elements

Key elements of this site include its:

  • rectangular, single-storey massing,
  • original open interior plan with tall central nave,
  • designed provision of natural light through clerestory and large windows in side elevations,
  • exposed interior wooden trusses,
  • exterior wood sheathing,
  • classical articulation including columned porticoes, pediments, stepped parapets, domed corner pavilions, pilasters,
  • location on exhibition grounds.

End of the register’s text

Location

1206 13th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A, Canada

49.83143° N, 99.95750° W

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Nearby

All 39 places in Brandon

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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.