The Atlas Wrecking Company was established in the early 1900's by David Billinkoff. Coming to Winnipeg from Russia on Christmas Eve, Billinkoff used his only dollar to buy a handsaw, going door to door offering to cut wood. He also began hauling loads of frozen gravel from Birds Hill to the City of Winnipeg, and eventually developed a scrap lumber resale business. After David's passing in 1933, his son Alecander quit school to run Billinkoff Wrecking and Lumber, and was eventually joined by his brothers Ben and Joe. In the 1950's the business became two distinct companies, Billinkoff's Lumber and the Atlas Wrecking Company. Over the years, Atlas completed many major wrecking, salvaging, or demolishing projects occurring in Western Canada. This includes the demolition of various public structures in Winnipeg such as the old Canadian National Telegraph's building at the corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street, the old Winnipeg Electric Company's steam generating plant, and the old Canadian Distillery in St. Boniface to name a few. Before and during each demolition, pictures were taken to document the event, making a unique contribution to the city's evolving landscape.