Manitoba Legislative Building

The building of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (Assemblee legislative du Manitoba in French) looks like a parliament building. It is the place where the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba meets in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. No surprise that it was earlier christened the Manitoba Parliament Building, instead of Legislative Building. The architecture can be described as new age classical or "neoclassical". This 77 meters tallbuilding was finished in 1920 and was designed and constructed by Frank Worthington Simon and Henry Boddington the Third, with the help of many other Masons and talented crafts-folk. Frank (1862-1933) studied neoclassical art at the École des Beaux-Arts. The most striking characteristic of the building is the "Golden Boy" - a gold plated bronze statue akin to the Roman god Mercury and the Greek god Hermes. It is fixed right on top of the cupola, or the famous domed ceiling of the Legislative Building.

The history behind the building is very interesting, and shows how this magnificent building came to be. In 1911 the Manitoba Government announced a contest with the prize of a mammoth $10,000 for the best design. It was announced to every architect of the British Empire. Over 67 submissions were made, and Frank Simon's impressive structure was selected for construction which began in 1913 and finished in 1919.

The building remains open all 365 days even on weekends. There are daily self-managed tours from 8 in the morning to 8 in the night. Guided tours too are organized from time to time.