Winnipeg's Tunnels
I came across this map on CBC's website yesterday and I was shocked to see an isolated underground network connecting the Manitoba museum, Centennial Theatre, Pantages theatre, City Hall, and the old (and now gone) police HQ. Is this still in use? Does anyone have any pictures? Are there plans to expand it? Also, are the rumors of a vast network of walkable steam tunnels throughout downtown actually true?
https://i.postimg.cc/Zv87GCSg/winnip...way-system.png |
I remember using those tunnels on a field trip when I was young (in the late 90s).
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There is indeed a tunnel between City Hall and the Manitoba Museum/Centennial Theatre that is still in regular use. It runs underneath Main Street (obviously) and is winter-proof.
It's not used by many people, mainly for the few elected officials/staff at City Hall who park in the Centennial Centre parkade which is connected to the small tunnel system. The segment of the tunnel that connects to the now gone police HQ is blocked off. |
HSC has a very elaborate tunnel system connecting all major buildings and parkades. Watch out for the electric cars.
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Totally amazing how much goes on down there.
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Anyone who attended U of Manitoba would know this, but most of the buildings on the Fort Garry campus are connected by tunnels. Most are wide corridors, but at least one looks to be a converted steam tunnel.
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What's funny about it is that the tunnel is pretty austere and narrow, but then you get to City Hall and a part branches off to become a big, wide, nicely decorated corridor as though they were expecting thousands of people to pass through there every day. (Maybe it was built with the thought of one day connecting it to a larger network? I do recall that until maybe about 20 years ago, the skywalk maps often included a dotted line from Portage & Main to City Hall showing a planned connection that was never realized) After my co-op ended I used to use it for the reason Andy6 mentioned, to park at the Civic Centre parkade and to then walk to the Concert Hall indoors when attending performances. But that is no longer an option of course, although the tunnels are still there. I wonder if the Marketlands development will include an underground connection? |
Unless it's been shuttered, you should still be able to walk from the Portage and Main concourse all the way to City Hall. I used to walk it on a semi-regular basis so I know it did exist but today I'm not sure.
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There has never been a connection between City Hall and Portage and Main. There was some talk of building one years ago but nothing ever came of it. The farthest north you can go in the main system is the Grain Exchange building.
The last time I was at the Manitoba Museum the tunnel across to City Hall was definitely open. |
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I realize I am more pro-skywalk than most around here, but I wish that planned leg from Portage and Main to City Hall had been completed... it would have made reaching the Exchange District even more convenient on cold/rainy days. But I guess there were never any developments in that area which could have resulted in pushing the network north.
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Here's a screenshot from the 'Big City Steam' trailer on YouTube.
https://i.postimg.cc/McmDkp53/Screen...2-You-Tube.jpg |
When I was going to Red River College downtown, I would take the tunnels from the now demolished Civic Centre Parkade, and walk all the way through to the Centennial Concert Hall and out to the bus stop in front of the Concert Hall in the winter time.
As someone mentioned already, not too many people know about that, and I knew about that after a fellow classmate told me about it. Absolutely blew my mind. Too bad that tunnel system is isolated from the rest of the Winnipeg Walkway network. HSC's vast tunnel network is very interesting. You can easily get lost in there if you don't pay attention to the signages. |
When I worked for the province I would sometimes take the tunnel from the Provincial Archives to the Norquay, but it isn't public. I think you can get to the Law Courts, Woodsworth and Leg through there too.
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