Historical Winnipeg discussion

[esquire]

The Winnipeg Clinic is one of Winnipeg's best early modernist buildings... demolition would be a tragedy. And while I get that not all great early modernist buildings can be saved (the old airport terminal was 10/10 but hard to repurpose), the Winnipeg Clinic could easily be converted into residential space.

[Authentic_City]

^The Winnipeg Clinic seems firmly attached to the building and have done some new renos recently. I can't see them moving out any time soon. But... it would be cool to see the building redeveloped as residential and the Winnipeg Clinic operations relocated to a new modern building downtown - perhaps located on the old Hy's lot they are trying to use as a permanent parking lot.

[esquire]

^ Winnipeg Clinic would have been a good fit for Medical Arts, but I'd be quite content if they just stayed put in their existing building. I'd love to see that surface lot you mentioned get filled in, though... doesn't even have to be anything tall, just continue the strip of 3-storey buildings toward the north end of the block.

[Authentic_City]

^That old Hy's lot is a real eyesore. I agree, even a low rise commercial development would be preferable. I recall the Wpg Clinic applied to use the lot as parking recently. Anyone know if the application was allowed?

And yeah, would have been perfect for Medical Arts.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by esquire

Those are awesome... good find.

I miss this place:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/84857817@N00/35956145933/

Winnipeg Bus Depot?

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

Winnipeg Bus Depot?

That's the old airport. It was a treat getting to go there as a kid to drop people off. Got to play in the arcade. They also had some seats with attached TVs where you could watch for a quarter. Fun times. That was in the 80s, looks like this picture predates that.

Wish we still had an observation deck at the airport...

[Authentic_City]

^The new terminal is nice, but the old terminal was really grand in that 1960s modernist way. I miss it too, even though it was looking pretty shabby in the end.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

^The new terminal is nice, but the old terminal was really grand in that 1960s modernist way. I miss it too, even though it was looking pretty shabby in the end.

The current airport terminal is up to date and is nicely designed, but it's modest by current airport standards. The old terminal was really big, bold and audacious... by 1964 standards it would have been legitimately world class. Few places would have had such a grandiose terminal in those days.

When it comes to airport terminals, we basically traded in an old Rolls Royce for a new Hyundai. Sure those new Elantras have great Bluetooth connectivity and other modern features, but it will never be a Rolls, even an old one.

Unfortunately the WAA letting the old terminal get so shabby really coloured peoples perceptions of it and eliminated any chance of preservation. Most people recall the burnt out lights and tacky kiosks, they don't recall the bleeding edge modernism from the terminal's early years:

[kalabaw]

Originally Posted by esquire

The Winnipeg Clinic is one of Winnipeg's best early modernist buildings... demolition would be a tragedy.

Totally agree on this. This building is one of the bests in Winnipeg.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by esquire

The current airport terminal is up to date and is nicely designed, but it's modest by current airport standards. The old terminal was really big, bold and audacious... by 1964 standards it would have been legitimately world class. Few places would have had such a grandiose terminal in those days. When it comes to airport terminals, we basically traded in an old Rolls Royce for a new Hyundai.

Couldn't have said it better. I miss the old airport building with the viewing lounge. I used to take clients there for something to do as it always was something interesting to look at and thought provoking.

[LilZebra]

The home I first lived in, located in the Rockwood neighbourhood (close to GP) had an oil furnace. The home was built in 1948.

At some point it was converted to a gas furnace. It was made of cast iron. It had a 'trap' door to insert the oil or coal?

I don't remember us receiving oil from a delivery truck, so our home must have been already converted later.

Does anyone know when natural gas supplanted oil for home use?

Was this in the 1950s or 1960s?

My Dad bought the house in 1962 for $10 K.

[TimeFadesAway]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

The home I first lived in, located in the Rockwood neighbourhood (close to GP) had an oil furnace. The home was built in 1948.

At some point it was converted to a gas furnace. It was made of cast iron. It had a 'trap' door to insert the oil or coal?

I don't remember us receiving oil from a delivery truck, so our home must have been already converted later.

Does anyone know when natural gas supplanted oil for home use?

Was this in the 1950s or 1960s?

My Dad bought the house in 1962 for $10 K.

A lot of those oil furnaces (the old octopus furnaces) were originally coal. My dad tells stories of getting up in the middle of the night to shovel more coal into the furnace.

IIRC, the big push to convert from coal/oil to natural gas came in the 60s. Eaton's sold a lot of natural gas furnaces, although I can't recall the branding right now.

[esquire]

I was recently in a country where coal is still commonly used in furnaces... smelling the coal smoke at night made me think of what Winnipeg must have been like 80 or 100 years ago. It's kind of quaint in small doses but I would think the cumulative effects of breathing in all that smoke over the years is not so great?

[drew]

Originally Posted by TimeFadesAway

A lot of those oil furnaces (the old octopus furnaces) were originally coal. My dad tells stories of getting up in the middle of the night to shovel more coal into the furnace.

IIRC, the big push to convert from coal/oil to natural gas came in the 60s. Eaton's sold a lot of natural gas furnaces, although I can't recall the branding right now.

Based on the two early 1900 vintage houses I have lived in, I think the progression (at least in Wolseley) was generally coal to fuel oil to natural gas.

The houses with the big old octupus boilers in the basement are getting pretty few and far between. Most houses have been upgraded with newer furnaces. My current 1906 house has a mid 1960s boiler. I don't think it was ever an oil burner, but I could be wrong.

[The Unknown Poster]

Originally Posted by cheswick

That's the old airport. It was a treat getting to go there as a kid to drop people off. Got to play in the arcade. They also had some seats with attached TVs where you could watch for a quarter. Fun times. That was in the 80s, looks like this picture predates that.

Wish we still had an observation deck at the airport...

Interesting you say that. When they were building the new terminal, I actually emailed them and asked about that. They said it was not needed because the entire terminal was an observation deck due to the large windows.

And that might be true if you're on the airside waiting to fly somewhere. But I have very fond memories of going up to that old deck with it's very dim lighting and staring out at the runways.

I even remember when they charged for it. They had turnstiles. It became tradition to arrive early and go sit up in the observation deck while waiting for our flight. Or, if dropping people off, to go up there and watch their plane take off.

[esquire]

^ I was never all that big on the observation deck but I have heard the lack of one in the new terminal come up many times. People clearly liked it and still miss it.

I vaguely recall when they reopened the observation deck sometime in the late 90s... there was some fanfare about having it back. That was probably the first time I went there, as a young adult. I don't remember it at all in the 80s and early 90s... was it closed for most of that period?

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ I was never all that big on the observation deck but I have heard the lack of one in the new terminal come up many times. People clearly liked it and still miss it.

I vaguely recall when they reopened the observation deck sometime in the late 90s... there was some fanfare about having it back. That was probably the first time I went there, as a young adult. I don't remember it at all in the 80s and early 90s... was it closed for most of that period?

Yeah I don't remember it being there when I was really young in the 80s either.

[The Unknown Poster]

If I recall correctly, the observation deck was originally open air.

When I've gone to pick up people from the airport and arrive early (or get there to find their plane has been delayed), there is nothing to do but sit around. In the old airport, it was a no brainer to go up there.

It was very relaxing, especially at night as they kept it dark and had some signage about airplanes etc.

There were always passengers sleeping up there. Quiet and relaxing.

[esquire]

^ Yeah, despite the cheesy murals which were endemic to late-90s Winnipeg, it was a pretty cool space. In a terminal that lacked quiet places to sit (most of those spaces were sacrificed to make way for the various 2nd level kiosks), that was one of the best.

I don't think I have ever seen a photo of the observation deck in its open-air days. Does anyone remember when it closed prior to reopening again in the 90s?

[TimeFadesAway]

Originally Posted by esquire

I don't think I have ever seen a photo of the observation deck in its open-air days. Does anyone remember when it closed prior to reopening again in the 90s?

I remember as a very young kid always wanting to go the observation deck whenever we went to the airport. I was born in 74, which means it must have been open to at least 79 or 80.