Historical Winnipeg discussion

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by Andy6

Why Glen Murray gave up so fast on Eaton's I have never quite understood.

Glen was one of the biggest supporters of the MTS Centre .. I believed he called the movement to build it "an unstopable steamroller".

After voting against saving the Jets when it mattered, he figured then was a great time to build a new arena. Ahhh yeah he never surprised me with his wisdom.

[drew]

Originally Posted by Andy6

Eaton's was something on a world-class scale that Winnipeg had and should have hung onto --

The only thing world class about the building was it's size. This building was only originally built as a temporary structure, and there wasn't anything all that grand about the building itself.

I agree that the building represented something other than architecture for this city, but consider how would it have affected the psyche of this city to have it sit empty, dark and deteriorating all these years?

[rgalston]

Originally Posted by Andy6

If the history of knocking down buildings in Winnipeg has taught us anything, it is that it never seems like a good idea in retrospect. I well remember when exactly the same arguments were being made for other buildings, when in reality time proved that in fact there was a use for them if we were patient. We would have had a huge parking structure or gravel lot on the east side of Main Street where the Bank of Hamilton and Bank of Commerce buildings sit if this sort of confident defeatism had been listened to. Same with the Union Tower. With its renovation, it will be an ornament for the city, but 10 or 20 years ago it was something whose demise we allegedly all had to accept. I remember on this very forum a few years ago someone going on and on about how the John Atchison-designed Cadomin Building (Wilson's) at Main and Graham absolutely had to be demolished because there could never possibly be another use for it. You could say the same for the Childs-TD-Nanton corner at P&M...why did that have to go to be replaced by a nondescript generic office tower that the market doesn't need?

Is this too long to use as my signature? Maybe "Confidident Defeatism" (or the Latin translation thereof) should be the City's new motto.

[grumpy old man]

We can't save every single building. I'd say Winnipeg has done quite well and the city is recognized for it. As long as we use great care when deciding when a building should go it's all good.

Hell, 50 years from now some nostalgia buff will be lamenting the loss of 100 Main Street.

[flatlander]

Originally Posted by grumpy old man

We can't save every single building. I'd say Winnipeg has done quite well and the city is recognized for it. As long as we use great care when deciding when a building should go it's all good.

Hell, 50 years from now some nostalgia buff will be lamenting the loss of 100 Main Street.

Nobody expects you to save every building, but Eaton's wasn't just any building.

Hydro would have been a nice fit in there. Didn't need to displace a viable retail block.

[nordique]

as crappy as it is, i think we really really lucked out with the two replacement buildings (mts centre and mb hydro), as they are both highly recognized stand-outs in their respective fields (super popular event arena and world-class energy efficient design). they could have easily been replaced by a completely generic, forgettable trizec building that would have contributed absolutely nothing to anything.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by drew

This building was only originally built as a temporary structure,

I keep hearing this but I've never seen any evidence for it. The building was built at great expense in four separate stages between 1905 and 1910. I can't see how it was ever meant to be a "temporary structure" or why that would be relevant 100 years later even if true. As a "temporary structure" it lasted a lot better than most of today's "permanent structures" will.

[1ajs]

true so true andy but whats done is done we need to look at what we have

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Andy6

I keep hearing this but I've never seen any evidence for it. The building was built at great expense in four separate stages between 1905 and 1910. I can't see how it was ever meant to be a "temporary structure" or why that would be relevant 100 years later even if true. As a "temporary structure" it lasted a lot better than most of today's "permanent structures" will.

The only related story similar to this, as far as being a temporary structure is the Eiffel Tower and i think the jury is still out if it is a success or not.

[ILYR]

Originally Posted by Biff

The only related story similar to this, as far as being a temporary structure is the Eiffel Tower and i think the jury is still out if it is a success or not.

I thought Team America destroyed the Eiffel Tower a few years back.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by grumpy old man

Sounding just a little bitter rgalston...

How was that ugly little box of a building doing before it was sold?

It was making Winnipeg look like the "Detroit of the north".

[Only The Lonely..]

Is it just my imagination or do we debate the demise of the Eatons building in regular 12 month cycles on here?

Anyways, I loved the hulking mass of a Chicago building that was our old Eatons store.

I vividly remember catching the bus outside of there in the middle of a classic Winnipeg winter, with that newsy standing on the corner of Donald and Portage slinging copies of the Free Press with a smoke in his mouth.

That experience for me at least, always gave me a big city feel in ways that the MTS Centre will never be able to imitate.

It's a shame they couldn't build the arena on one of the surface lots outside of the convention centre.

If we were going to build an arena on a small downtown lot, I think it would have been a lot more productive to team up with the Convention Centre so that we could expand our capacity to handle important trade shows and conferences.

[1ajs]

aww yes the news paper guy aww i miss talking to him shame hes not set up anymore

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

It's a shame they couldn't build the arena on one of the surface lots outside of the convention centre.

If we were going to build an arena on a small downtown lot, I think it would have been a lot more productive to team up with the Convention Centre so that we could expand our capacity to handle important trade shows and conferences.

As we speak, work is happening behind the scenes. There will be an announcement regarding the upcoming expansion of the convension centre, including a new hotel.

FYI.. those surface lots are much too small for the arena, nor would it have fulfilled Murray's objective to revivng Portage Ave into some sort of party central. In addition there is a reason why convention centres don't double as arenas. The usable surface area of an arena is very limited and does not function well for conventions.

[1ajs]

[rgalston]

Here's something I probably should know, but do not: what was the bridge that goes from Jubillee to Kingston Row (right at BDI) built for?

[1ajs]

it was built by a developer who used it as a means to sell his realistate

i have a great great uncle who drowned swiming in the river there somthing about he hit his head when he dove into the river playing as kids used to swim in the river back then

[Andy6]

Built by the developers of the Elm Park subdivision, as 1ajs said.

[rgalston]

Originally Posted by Andy6

Built by the developers of the Elm Park subdivision, as 1ajs said.

Right, that makes sense. Thanks.

[UBT1903]

Does anyone have any existing interior photos of the Union Bank Tower on Main Street? I have seen and taken photos during demolition and I have seen pictures of the restaurant that used to be attached to the back of the building but no one seems to have any photos before 1990. Thanks for your help.