The Early Years (1925-1946)
During the first couple of decades, what started as the non-denominational Winnipeg Bible Training School in 1925 – soon after becoming known as the Winnipeg Bible Institute in 1929 – rented space at various houses and churches in the West End of the city. Graduating classes grew steadily over these years, leading to the need to acquire its own property for expansion, which Providence eventually found on the south side of the Assiniboine River in 1947.
Main Physical Addresses: 299 Young Street, 580 Spence Street, 590 Furby Street, 789 Preston Avenue, 241 Balmoral Street, 103 Furby Street, 590 Burnell Street, and 102 Marjorie Street.
Evergreen Place (1947-1967)
During the school’s twenty-year residency at 2 Evergreen Place (1947-1967), it was the first bible school in Canada to grant bachelor’s degrees (1948), constructed its own administration building alongside the estate house where it operated (1956), and the organization was renamed Winnipeg Bible College to reflect its degree-granting status (1964). Unfortunately, none of the former buildings at this location remain today (as it was since developed as a high-rise apartment complex).
The Barracks (1967-1970)
Due to the growing need for more space and improved facilities, WBC made the decision to sell its Evergreen Place location in 1967. For the next three years, the school found temporary accommodation at the Fort Osborne Barracks near Assiniboine Park (135 Doncaster Street). Initially, the plan was to purchase a tract of land on the outskirts of Winipeg and to build a new campus on this property, at which time 100 acres in Otterburne went up for sale.
Otterburne Campus (1970-present)
In 1970, Winnipeg Bible College acquired the former St. Joseph’s College in Otterburne (a.k.a. Maison Saint-Joseph). The school opened the Seminary in 1972, rebranded itself as Providence College and Theological Seminary in 1991, constructed a number of new buildings on site over the years (e.g. gymnasium, library, residences, student life centre, etc), and as of 2011 came to be known as Providence University College and Theological Seminary.
Providence Downtown (2023-present)
Founded in 2007, the Buller School of Business operates at both the main Otterburne campus (for undergraduate-level business degrees) and out of the Massey Building at 294 William Avenue (for international post-secondary and graduate business programs). This location in downtown Winnipeg is also where Providence presently offers its Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) programming.
