Historical Winnipeg discussion

[kalabaw]

Interesting to see that video, especially for someone like me who did not grow up here. Honestly, I didn't really know what and where Winnipeg is when I was in high school, which is when this video was taken. I know where Canada was, but I never really know anything about it, all the more its provinces and cities. Fast forward to today and I've called Canada and Winnipeg home for 12 and 7 years respectively.

[peg]

I found a really extensive library of high-quality historic Maps of Winnipeg and Manitoba: https://www.newpghs.com/historical-maps

Some really neat ones in there. Some I'd never seen before. I cant post them as images cause they are PDFs.

[bomberjet]

Thanks for sharing!

[1ajs]

damn that parking lot at donald and elice had a nice building what happend?

[trueviking]

I just learned that it was Winnipeg’s first apartment building. The Westminster Block, built in 1884. Also known as the French flats.

[1ajs]

wonder what happend to it fire?

[davequanbury]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I just learned that it was Winnipeg’s first apartment building. The Westminster Block, built in 1884. Also known as the French flats.

i did some poking around, there are references to the Westminster Block in the Henderson's directories right up until 1962. I wasn't able to find any articles in the Trib or Freeps about a fire or anything. Most likely just pulled down by the owner.

I learned that "French flats" was the term for the type of housing, not that particular building:

"The term “French Flat” generally referred to multiple-family dwellings for the middle- and upper-middle class and helped to distinguish it from a tenement. Such a term was used to entice would-be residents who could afford living space nicer than a tenement but couldn’t afford a single-family house in Manhattan following the Civil War. "

https://www.villagepreservation.org/...plained-merci/

[Labroco]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

damn that parking lot at donald and elice had a nice building what happend?

I can’t stop looking at this post card of Donald Street… To imagine living in that beautiful building, walking out and onto the trolley and taking it down Broadway to watch a sporting match on Osborne. It’s what we are all hoping can return in someway (some would say it has).

The urbanism of this image I find breathtaking anywhere but especially for Winnipeg.

[trueviking]

Dave Q. That’s great info. Thanks!

[1ajs]

that corner needs a new version of that building to replace that lot not a tower

[davequanbury]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...ions-1.6283825

Nice write up about the Winnipeg Hotel. Not much in the way of info that has not already come to light on this forum, but nice to know the stained glass windows are tucked away safe somewhere.

[1ajs]

some realy interesting 1930's 40's motorcyle club photos poped up on if you grew up in wpg facebook group




https://www.facebook.com/groups/154508147961200/

[BubberMiley]

Just discovered the Manitoba Home Movie archive. This one has some great shots of the Portage Avenue sidewalk in the 1940s.
https://archive.org/details/mhma-k-stevenson

This one looks to be in the early 1960s. Great shots of Portage Ave and Main Street.
https://archive.org/details/gimli-ga...-07_001-03.mp4

This one has some incredible footage of the St Boniface Cathedrale burning down.
https://archive.org/details/gimli-ga..._001-01_HD.mp4

[bomberjet]

Thanks for sharing. Amazing footage.

Is this part of the more recent effort to collect old home photos and videos? I guess people just throw their old stuff out when people pass on. Instead they were asking people to donate so the memories can live on.

[BubberMiley]

Part of this one seems to be taken from the upper deck of Eaton's parkade before Newport Centre was built in front of it.
https://archive.org/details/gimli-ga...-07_001-05.mp4

[drew]

^ I doubt the person driving that 23-window VW Bus at 1:29 in that video could have imagined how valuable it would be 60 years later.

[TimeFadesAway]

Originally Posted by BubberMiley

Part of this one seems to be taken from the upper deck of Eaton's parkade before Newport Centre was built in front of it.
https://archive.org/details/gimli-ga...-07_001-05.mp4

That's Home Street right at the beginning of the clip. I recognized the apartment block.

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.8880...7i13312!8i6656

[bomberjet]

I'm going to spend some time watching those videos. So cool.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by TimeFadesAway

That's Home Street right at the beginning of the clip. I recognized the apartment block.

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.8880...7i13312!8i6656

I thought the same. Thanks for the confirmation. Years ago my younger brother and his partner lived there right when she had their son. Just realized, 30 years ago now, wow.

[biguc]

Just posted this in the Exchange thread but I'll post it here too so things don't get too off topic.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/manitobamaps/2340939496

Things:

South Osborne used to be called Pembina Street!?
Henderson Highway was Bird's Road.
Check out how Sargent just kind of dissolves. Weird stuff in the West End
Look at that diamond at Kenaston and Grant.
No Osborne or Memorial north of the old legistlative grounds. The UofM is there instead.
Lilac used to have a streetcar for a stretch, which explains why it's kind of dense and has some commercial spaces.