Historical Winnipeg discussion - Page 62

drew · #**1221** Posted **Jun 26, 2010, 3:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

Even more so, because it's not the same chain-store signs you see in every city in the world.

^Shell, Safeway, TD bank, locally common Academy Florist...

Seems common enough to me

Andy6 · #**1222** Posted **Jun 26, 2010, 4:37 PM**

That one shot happens to emphasize some non-local businesses, but even there the designs of the buildings and designs of the signs weren't nearly as standardized and bland as they are now. Compare ten main streets with a mix of local stores and TD Banks, Shells and Safeways in the 1950s with ten Power Centres or mall interiors today ... I would think that the 1950s streets would feel like ten different experiences while the Power Centres and malls would basically be the same thing over and over. By the time you saw the last one you'd be completely bored. It would be like torture. That's one reason why we often feel so disengaged from our surroundings today. There is nothing to catch our attention and draw us out of ourselves.

drew · #**1223** Posted **Jun 26, 2010, 8:03 PM**

^ I agree. This picture is probably rare in the sense that if anything, that particular stretch of Academy has LESS chain stores now than it did 50 years ago (ignoring 7-11 and Domo).

myuglyface · #**1224** Posted **Jun 28, 2010, 4:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winnipegger@Heart

Awnings make streets, and storefronts more inviting...I also miss the neon signs that used to adorn so many streetscapes.

And British cars are another thing missing from these photos (for better or worse).

myuglyface · #**1225** Posted **Jun 28, 2010, 4:04 AM**

I have noticed some postings here include only a part of the page of a Winnipeg Free Press archive pdf. I can't figure out how to isolate a specific content on the page that is of interest. Any helpful tips?

Andy6 · #**1226** Posted **Jun 28, 2010, 4:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by myuglyface

I have noticed some postings here include only a part of the page of a Winnipeg Free Press archive pdf. I can't figure out how to isolate a specific content on the page that is of interest. Any helpful tips?

Probably by saving the page on the hard drive and then editing it (cropping it) with Photoshop.

1ajs · #**1227** Posted **Jun 28, 2010, 4:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by myuglyface

I have noticed some postings here include only a part of the page of a Winnipeg Free Press archive pdf. I can't figure out how to isolate a specific content on the page that is of interest. Any helpful tips?

taking screen shots of said pdf's and editing them in paint

Riverman · #**1228** Posted **Jun 28, 2010, 2:04 PM**

There was a Safeway store on north Main where the McDonalds is now. My folks called it the little Safeway and the one on Polson and Main the big Safeway.

Archiseek · #**1229** Posted **Jun 29, 2010, 8:37 PM**

Anyone know where this was and if it were even built?

1900 – National Trust Company, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Architect: George Gouinlock

Andy6 · #**1230** Posted **Jun 30, 2010, 4:01 AM**

Yes, it stood on the NE corner of Main and Pioneer (then known as Notre Dame Avenue East). It was realized in exactly the form depicted. As far as I know it lasted until around 1970 when it came down to make way for the Bestlands Building, which is now the smaller MTS building.

Archiseek · #**1231** Posted **Jun 30, 2010, 1:05 PM**

thanks andy

rgalston · #**1232** Posted **Jul 1, 2010, 11:41 AM**

The National Trust Building can be seen in the centre of this photo from the General Strike found here.

Xtoval · #**1233** Posted **Jul 2, 2010, 6:01 PM**

The gratifying thing about the Academy Road photo is how well that particular strip has fared over the years. Only further west have they built a small strip mall recessed from the street for parking. Locally-owned businesses still predominate. Obviously it helps to run through one of the city's wealthiest neighbourhoods.

1ajs · #**1234** Posted **Jul 4, 2010, 4:33 PM**

wow... theres some realy good footage here from the 20's 30's 50's

• Video Link

towards the end is some stufd from when the auditorium (provincial arhives building) was new and some realy nice clips of main st including north of the subway.

nice clip of the suds showing a hansome red brick building where theres a surface lot today (7:56 mark)

Andy6 · #**1235** Posted **Jul 4, 2010, 6:42 PM**

Sure wish they could tear 80% of that down and replace it with a couple of lame-looking 30-storey prefab skyscrapers and 300 acres of parking lots.

Seriously ... that's a spectacular find, ajs! It's like a Google streetview of 1925. Interesting description of the route of the old #1 highway at the end. I couldn't make out the date on any of those licence plates. You can certainly see why the papers in those days were full of stories of pedestrians being injured and killed.

ScrappyPeg · #**1236** Posted **Jul 4, 2010, 7:24 PM**

You should also wonder why anyone enjoyed this city back in the day, without the drunks wandering about Main and Portage.

What is with that driver in the video, he seems to pass anyone in front of him - often do so in the oncoming traffic lane!

Andy6 · #**1237** Posted **Jul 4, 2010, 7:32 PM**

Streets were still more like public squares then, with cars just making their way through whatever else was there in whatever way seemed best. For all of human history until about 15 years before that film was made, streets had existed for purposes that did not in any way involve motorized vehicles. That didn't change overnight. It was only a bit later that they became regulated into automobile-only throughways, with people, animals, carts etc. restricted to the sidewalks.

RTD · #**1238** Posted **Jul 4, 2010, 8:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

Sure wish they could tear 80% of that down and replace it with a couple of lame-looking 30-storey prefab skyscrapers and 300 acres of parking lots.

I'm sure if you had your way, you would tear down every building in Winnipeg post 1930, re-erect turn-of-the-century architecture, and actually try and shrink Winnipeg's population back down to 100,000..........or less. Seriously

Andy6 · #**1239** Posted **Jul 4, 2010, 8:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RTD

I'm sure if you had your way, you would tear down every building in Winnipeg post 1930, re-erect turn-of-the-century architecture, and actually try and shrink Winnipeg's population back down to 100,000..........or less. Seriously

Yes, the bottom 500,000 would be given one-way bus fare to Calgary.

RTD · #**1240** Posted **Jul 4, 2010, 11:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

Yes, the bottom 500,000 would be given one-way bus fare to Calgary.

Look, I really do appreciate your enthusiasm as well as others, for the past and how passtionate you are about it, but sometimes your "stuck in the past, lets keep Winnipeg small and in the 1910s" mentality is a real downer, pissing all over any new development in Winnipeg, saying how it's destroying the city. For crying out loud, come on buddy! Winnipeg is growing, thriving and becoming more competitive with larger centres, again! I love The Exchange and all the wonderful buildings showing off our past to all, but I also am excited for the future and what new developments are coming our way, and we have lots on the go now. Winnipeg is growing bigger and stronger all at a decent rate, and I love it!!!