Winnipeg | Historical discussion

[Wpg_Guy]

1910 - Looking south down Princess St. from William Ave.


1946 - Grain Exchange Building on Lombard


1940's - Main St. south of Portage Ave


1950's - Transcona bus at Portage and Main


1953 - Union Station at Broadway and Main


1958 - Empire Hotel


Empire Hotel on Main St.


1960 - Portage and Main


1973 - The Richardson Building at Portage and Main


1973 - South west corner of Portage and Main


1974 - Portage Ave. looking towards Main

[Authentic_City]

Great photos! The one with the Lloyd Axworthy billboard is pretty neat. Wonder what year that was?

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

Great photos! The one with the Lloyd Axworthy billboard is pretty neat. Wonder what year that was?

It appears to be ~1977 based on that billboard. Axworthy was first elected as an MLA for Fort Rouge in the 1973 provincial election and re-elected in 1977.

[Biff]

I know there have been a lot of sad building losses in the past, but man, losing the McIntyre Block might be the worst. Especially since it hasn't been replaced with anything other than the lowest form of development at our most prominent corner...a gravel lot.

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

1960 - Portage and Main

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Biff

I know there have been a lot of sad building losses in the past, but man, losing the McIntyre Block might be the worst. Especially since it hasn't been replaced with anything other than the lowest form of development at our most prominent corner...a gravel lot.

absolutely.

Another notable loss, for me anyway, is the former post office building on Portage Ave, such a striking building, now a parkade.


192-?, Photograph looks south across Portage Ave. at the block between Fort St. and Garry St. The buildings from left to right: Oldfield, Kirby and Gardner Building (234 Portage Ave.), Central Post Office (236 Portage Ave.), and the 1904 Free Press Building.

[neutroniks]

That, at the buildings additionally beside the Palamino. The way the Pal just stands alone on that stretch of Main seems so desolate and wrong. Even the lot next to commonwealth should be filled in with a building rather than that parking lot

[neutroniks]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

absolutely.

Another notable loss, for me anyway, is the former post office building on Portage Ave, such a striking building, now a parkade.


192-?, Photograph looks south across Portage Ave. at the block between Fort St. and Garry St. The buildings from left to right: Oldfield, Kirby and Gardner Building (234 Portage Ave.), Central Post Office (236 Portage Ave.), and the 1904 Free Press Building.

You're telling me this beautiful building was replaced with that disgusting, lifeless parkade?

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

It appears to be ~1977 based on that billboard. Axworthy was first elected as an MLA for Fort Rouge in the 1973 provincial election and re-elected in 1977.

Yes, it's 1977 for sure. You can also see the yellow 1976-83 licence plates. It was just about the end of the line for the Empire Hotel at that point.

[davequanbury]

Originally Posted by neutroniks

That, at the buildings additionally beside the Palamino. The way the Pal just stands alone on that stretch of Main seems so desolate and wrong. Even the lot next to commonwealth should be filled in with a building rather than that parking lot

Here is a cool shot of that block whole block.


Here is what the building at the corner looked like. I believe it was lost to a fire.

[Andy6]

That was the Dominion Bank, a very nice looking building that was torn down around 1970, I think.

[neutroniks]

Numerous fires really robbed our city of some absolute beauties. Urban legends say that the mob's presence back in the day caused a lot of them. Can anyone elaborate on those if anyone knows any history stories? lol

[bomberjet]

It's so depressing for me to look back at these old photos..

[Wpg_Guy]

1910 - Portage and Main


1920 - View of the east side of Main St. looking south from McDermot Ave.


1957 - Market Ave.


1958 - Osborne St.


1958 - Grest West Life at Osborne & Broadway


1962 - Old city hall demo


1966 - Portage Ave. and Main St


1972 - Childs Building and the flanking TD and Nanton Buildings at Portage and Main


1988 - TD Bank at Portage and Notre Dame


1989 - NW corner of Portage and Main, 201 Portage Ave


1991 - Princess St.

[Andy6]

I do think our perspective today is skewed since all we ever see is the facades of the buildings. If you were ever inside some of these buildings they weren't quite as beautiful from that perspective - dark, creaky places with small offices that couldn't easily be remodelled for modern needs. People in the 60s and 70s wanted modern, bright, flexible office space (and residential space for that matter) and weren't as sentimental about exterior features that were so common then that no one thought them particularly special.

Not that I wouldn't want them back again, of course, especially given what might be possible now for modernizing their insides.

The warehouse buildings mostly survived because they were much more adaptable, with large open floorplates.

[neutroniks]

Originally Posted by Andy6

I do think our perspective today is skewed since all we ever see is the facades of the buildings. If you were ever inside some of these buildings they weren't quite as beautiful from that perspective - dark, creaky places with small offices that couldn't easily be remodelled for modern needs. People in the 60s and 70s wanted modern, bright, flexible office space (and residential space for that matter) and weren't as sentimental about exterior features that were so common then that no one thought them particularly special.

Not that I wouldn't want them back again, of course, especially given what might be possible now for modernizing their insides.

The warehouse buildings mostly survived because they were much more adaptable, with large open floorplates.

That's definitely true. There's some warehouses and old beautiful buildings in the West Exchange that just sit until someone ponies up enough money to convert them. I can't imagine how much it would cost to modernize everything and get everything up to code just to allow them to be residential suites.

[neutroniks]

I know it's been said a million times, but I think one of the biggest mistakes were getting rid of the street cars.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by neutroniks

That's definitely true. There's some warehouses and old beautiful buildings in the West Exchange that just sit until someone ponies up enough money to convert them. I can't imagine how much it would cost to modernize everything and get everything up to code just to allow them to be residential suites.

I remember when I worked in the Royal Tower (today's Paterson Global Foods Institute/RRC building at 504 Main Street) the men's and ladies' rooms were on alternating floors and there was one small modern elevator together with one old cage elevator operated by an elderly gent. Once you'd seen the Richardson Building this wasn't really going to do it for you anymore as a potential tenant!

[Wpg_Guy]

1905 - Portage Ave. and Main St. The streetcar in the centre is heading west down Portage Ave


1915 - Line of cars outside the Winnipeg Industrial Bureau building at Main St. and Water Ave. (Water Ave. is now called William Stephenson Way).


1920s - Portage Ave. and Main St. Pic shows a Winnipeg policeman with a sun shade umbrella directing traffic.


1943 - Vehicles and streetcars on the Redwood Bridge.


1946 - A woman waits in a streetcar boarding area on Portage Ave.


1961 - Construction of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Cathedral on Main St. just north of Redwood Ave.


1960s - Looking north up Memorial Blvd. from the Legislative building.


1978 - View of the McIntyre Building on Main St. just north of Portage Ave. Visible is the construction of 360 Main St.


1991 - Main St. between Lombard Ave. and McDermot Ave.


2008 - Construction of the Manitoba Hydro Place building at 360 Portage Ave.

[Wpg_Guy]

1910 - City Hall square


1915-Assiniboine Park Pavilion and Annex


1920 - A photograph of streetcar on Broadway, looking west from Main Street. The Manitoba Club building can be seen on the left. Photographed by Steele and Company.


1930 - Photograph shows a view of the back entrance to the former pavilion at Kildonan Park.


1931 - Photograph shows the excavation in preparation for the construction of the Winnipeg Auditorium.


1947 - Lion at Assiniboine Zoo


1966 - St. Boniface City Hall on Provencher Boulevard.


1972 - Disraeli Freeway


1972 - Aerial view of an occasion at Bonnycastle Park with people gathered around a portable stage watching a performance.


1977 - Old Market Square

[jim_bred]

Man I wish the old city hall would have been saved, such a beautiful building.