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December 22, 2023
Delivering The Holidays: Winnipeg’s Post Offices
December is a special time of year when regardless of our beliefs, we slow down and connect with people we love. Many of us will go through the ritual of sending Christmas cards, recapping the happenings of the year, and include a picture or two to share with friends and family. It is a tradition…
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/ Blog Entries
November 17, 2023
Ring! Ring! St. John’s Telephone Exchange Calling
It’s 1878, Winnipeg is barely five years old. Small and young, it is a city full of ambition and confidence, ready to make its mark. The first railway connecting Winnipeg to the wider world will be completed by the end of the year, and the course is set. The city grew from only 1,869 inhabitants…
September 22, 2023
Hardened By Fire: 104 & 108 Princess Street
At the corner of Princess Street and Bannatyne Avenue sits two buildings with an intriguing history… or is it one building? From the back, they now appear to be one modern building, but from the front, one half is from the 19th century while the other half is very much from the 21st century. Standing…
August 15, 2023
There Is A Happyland, Far, Far, Away
It was the kind of place that dreams are made of, where the imaginary is brought to life. Thrilling rides, electrifying performances, the latest in entertainment technology, spectacles from around the world – past and present – that all could be found in Winnipeg’s wondrous Happyland. It was an ambitious amusement park that shone brightly…
July 13, 2023
Building Futures: The Finnie And Murray Block
On the western edge of the Exchange District sits a handsome red brick warehouse, built at the height of Winnipeg’s early 20th century prosperity. While the exterior of the Finnie and Murray Block is nearly unaltered since it was constructed over 110 years ago, inside the changes have been dramatic, telling the story of a…
April 21, 2023
Making A Splash: The Pan Am Pool
Nothing brings communities together more than a grand event, especially a sporting event. Everyone gets together to paint their faces, wear their team gear and cheer on their favourites in hopes that they will bring home the trophy! Although Winnipeg’s population is smaller than many other cities, it has big sporting ambitions. From hockey and…
March 21, 2023
One Company, Four Historic Buildings: The Great-West Life Assurance Company
Insurance helps protect you and your loved ones in many different ways. Can you imagine a time before insurance? Probably not considering it has been around since the late 1800s! As Winnipeg has grown, the Great-West Life Assurance Company has grown with it. It has occupied three heritage buildings in Winnipeg: 177 Lombard Avenue, 60-80…
February 16, 2023
Part Two: Sound The Alarm! Winnipeg’s Heritage Is Burning Down
Why is Winnipeg’s heritage burning down? This is not a new problem, from its earliest days, fire has been the demise of many buildings in Winnipeg – sometimes in spectacular fashion, sometimes with tragic consequences. In the first part of this blog, published last month, we looked back at some memorable historic fires in Winnipeg…
January 26, 2023
Part One: Sound The Alarm! Winnipeg’s Heritage Is Burning Down
Ever since Winnipeg started building up, fires have been burning the city down. Some fires are small, with the structure quickly rebuilt even grander than before, while some fires are huge, leaving a gap in the streetscape that persists for a century or more. And some fires are tragic, far worse than just a building…
December 22, 2022
Tunneling Into History: The Amy Street Steam Heating Plant
When the weather outside is frightful, turning up the heat inside can be so delightful! For over 65 years, hundreds of Winnipeggers were kept warm thanks to the Amy Street Steam Heating Plant. Constructed as a backup source of electricity, it was also used to keep many buildings downtown nice and toasty. Although the plant…