Former prime minister's home up for sale in Manitoba, fully restored to its original look
There is a chance someone could own a piece of history in Portage la Prairie, Man., as the home of Canada's ninth prime minister is on the market – completely restored to its original look.
The home located at 131 Dufferin Avenue East once belonged to Arthur Meighen, who was prime minister on two separate occasions, from 1920 to 1921 and in 1926 from June to September.
Eric Vieweg is the current owner and since 1993, when he and his family bought the home, he has been working to restore its natural look.
"It was really neglected, it was divided up into apartments. It was really rundown…it looked like a really derelict building," said Vieweg. "But the price was very reasonable and at that time, I was young and stupid and I guess I thought, we could fix this up."
The home of former prime minister Arthur Meighen, located at 131 Dufferin Avenue East in Portage la Prairie, is for sale. (Source: Home Viewtube/realtor.ca)
Before becoming an accountant, Vieweg was a cabinetmaker and those skills helped him restore much of the home with the original material. What he couldn't salvage, he replaced, making it look the same as it once was.
He said he was inspired to bring the house back to life after receiving pictures of the home and what it looked like in the 1920s.
"It looked completely different to what it looked like, at the time, in the late 90s…but to see that house the way it was in the 20s was an inspiration. That kind of made me realize, 'Oh, instead of doing a reno, let's restore it to how it looked.'"
The home of former prime minister Arthur Meighen, located at 131 Dufferin Avenue East in Portage la Prairie, is for sale. (Source: Home Viewtube/realtor.ca)
He said the front half of the main level is completely authentic to the 1920s. If areas like the kitchen needed to be upgraded – like removing a big wood stove – Vieweg still made it fit the right era with modern amenities.
The home also features the original cast-iron tub in the bathroom.
"So the prime minister would have bathed in that tub. So that's kind of cool."
The restoration allowed Vieweg to continue to flex his creative muscles, to the point where his workstation was in the living room for more than 10 years.
The home of former prime minister Arthur Meighen, located at 131 Dufferin Avenue East in Portage la Prairie, is for sale. (Source: Home Viewtube/realtor.ca)
"I'd come home and that was my release, my stress release, my fix for creativity. So it was a good balance, and I guess that's what kept me going."
He added the house cost him a lot of money, but he is proud of the work he has done.
Now, the home is listed for $449,500, and Vieweg said it's bittersweet to be moving on from a home he has put so much time and effort into.
"It was good, you know. We were never bored, but yeah, that chapter of my life is over."
Vieweg hopes that a family purchases the home, saying it has a lot of bedrooms and he feels it should be enjoyed by a family.
As for the next chapter of Vieweg's life, now that the work is done and he is retired, he said he plans on taking a sailboat and sailing around the Caribbean with his partner.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
'Reimagining Mother's Day': Toronto woman creates Motherless Day event after losing mom
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
Sherpa guide Kami Rita scales Mount Everest for 29th time, extending his own record again
One of greatest climbing guides on Mount Everest has scaled the world's highest peak for the 29th time, extending his own record for most times to the summit, expedition organizers said Sunday.
As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Balancing act: Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO juggles Arctic airline challenges
With carriers' flight volumes above the 60th parallel hovering below pre-pandemic levels, Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO now bears the task of balancing those financial and logistical challenges with the needs of communities for which she feels a deep affinity.