Winnipeg acknowledges ‘generous, philanthropic’ family with honorary road renaming

A stretch of Panet Road has been honorarily named after long-time local business Princess Auto.

Naming Panet Road from Nairn Avenue to Mission Street — along the former Princess Auto location and the new, expanded flagship centre will open Tuesday — “Princess Auto Way” was one way to recognize the generations-long family business and its impact on the city, said Mayor Scott Gillingham.

Gillingham said he reached out to Princess Auto with the idea for the nomination.

“It’s not just the fact that they’ve been a key business family in their community,” Gillingham said at an event at the new Princess Auto at 500 Panet Road Saturday.

“They are very generous, they’re very philanthropic, and they sponsor major events … the impact of the Tallman family goes deep and is long lasting in our community. And by naming the street Princess Auto Way, it’s just a small way to acknowledge their great contribution.”

Princess Auto celebrated the day with friends and family of the business Saturday.

“What an honour,” said Ken Larsen, the CEO of Princess Auto, in a statement. “We’re incredibly proud to be part of this community and to call Winnipeg home. To be recognized in such a meaningful way is truly humbling.”

The 500 Panet Rd., store replaces the company’s 515 Panet Rd., location, which closes June 1 but is still owned by the company and will be used to host opening day celebrations.

Princess Auto has 59 stores across the country (including two in Winnipeg and one in Brandon) and more than 3,500 employees.

Its first location, an auto wrecker, opened in Winnipeg in 1933 on Princess Street.

The new Panet Road location will be the 14th store opened under the family-owned business’s third generation: Matthew Tallman and Marc Tallman.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca