Historical Winnipeg discussion

[trebor204]

Originally Posted by Andy6

We used to have the best highway map in Canada, cartographically, but it isn't as good as it used to be, especially after the NDP decided that it would be really heartwarming and democratic if the highway map showed the entire province on the same side, even at the expense of shrinking the southern part of the province, where 98% of driving and tourist traffic actually occurs, down to the point of illegibility.

The latest Manitoba Highway Maps now has a larger enlargement of Southern Manitoba (South of Dauphin) on the other side which has a better scale than the maps of the 90s. The maps from the 2000s only had a enlargement of the Capital Region.

I decided the measure the length on the map of Southern Manitoba as a comparison:

1962 49cm
1998-1999 45cm
2013 35cm
2013 (southern MB enlargement) 58cm

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by greyraven8

Found some fire insurance maps at Archives Canada. Aug 1906, revised May 1914.

http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_a...=e008444584-v8

here one page:


here's some from 1880 (faded but mostly legible): http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_a...ec_nbr=3776310

I wonder what "mushroom system" means with respect to the Lindsay Building.

This map is from May 1914, so most of the downtown office buildings are in place, with the grey colour indicating the steel-frame buildings. The Bank of Hamilton is still pink because it has not yet been replaced by the new (1916) building that we have today. The whole big block of buildings where the Galt Hotel had been has been pencilled out because it was shortly to be replaced by the (1915) Curry Building. There is still a smattering of old houses here and there, notably along Arthur and also the one next to the Royal Albert that survived until it burned three or four years ago.

With respect to the Royal Roller Rink, I thought it was around the corner of Albert and Notre Dame

[1ajs]

type of fire surpression?

[cllew]

Mushroom system as far as I can find is a type of floor design with reinforced concrete and flared concrete column heads that look like a mushroom. I guess it was a lot safer than the old wood beam and floor system used up until then.


An example can be found in this report.

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/gro...ert_279438.pdf

[Cyro]

Damn, our roads looked pretty good in the 60's, great foot traffic as well..




Bill Hillman -http://www.hillmanweb.com/brandon/42.html

[1ajs]

sherbrook and pacific




salter st bridge old one



norwood bridge





source for these photos

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1588...19880/?fref=nf

[esquire]

I don't think I've ever seen pictures of the Midland Railway before... good find!

There is really an amazing amount of seldom-seen views of Winnipeg's railways in that Facebook group. It's amazing how much has changed just in the last 30 or so years.

[Bdog]

Very cool photo of the Midland Railway. Had only ever seen it on old maps before. 1ajs you should start a "Winnipeg Railway History" thread and invite those from the Facebook group to post.

[drew]

^ what was the Midland Railway?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by drew

^ what was the Midland Railway?

An local railway that was for many years owned by the big American railway company Great Northern. They had a yard and some transfer facilities in what is now the Centennial area (the Freight House CC is actually the old Midland Railway freight house). When the yards were removed in the early 80s, it opened up space for new development in the Centennial area... you will notice a stretch roughly parallelling Pacific Avenue from the Exchange District to Sherbrook where there are no old buildings. The Midland still exists although now it is BNSF Manitoba... their operations are based in River Heights, between Taylor and Grant, close to Borebank St.

Here's some more background: http://www.canada-rail.com/alberta/r...s/midland.html

[drew]

^ interesting - thanks. I tried some somewhat fruitless research on the interweb, but I figured someone here would know more.

[esquire]

You're welcome. It's fascinating to me because I know it existed until the early 80s, but I have no memories of it (I was but a preschooler back then), and there is really no evidence of the central yards anymore. So any glimpses into that past is interesting to see.

[cllew]

apparently Midland railway was one of the main ways to get fruit from the US into Winnipeg from what I was told.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by cllew

apparently Midland railway was one of the main ways to get fruit from the US into Winnipeg from what I was told.

Even now, it's still a pretty big deal for bulk shippers. BNSF Manitoba has running rights on CN trackage that gets you access to the US rail network direct from Winnipeg. I'm pretty sure that Vancouver is the only other place in Western Canada with that sort of direct access to the US network - it provides an alternative to the duopoly and can help keep shipping costs down.

[Bdog]

Download this photo at the highest resolution - https://www.flickr.com/photos/manito...57604052609937

It's kind of funny to think that this small railway had no less than four grade separations along what was maybe a 2 km stretch (Arlington, Sherbrook, William, and Tecumseh).

[drew]

^ love searching around those maps.

So this railway must have been elevated along much of it's length? On a berm?

[Riverman]

That Facebook page is full of terrific pictures.

[Bdog]

Originally Posted by drew

^ love searching around those maps.

So this railway must have been elevated along much of it's length? On a berm?

Yep, similar to the other elevated sections in the City, but not quite as high I don't think. If you're ever on Sherbrook (or streetview) between Ross and Pacific, you can see remnants of the berming in the field behind Freight House.

[Cyro]

Great site for manitoba photos:

Lombard St - 1950



http://www.manitobaphotos.com/1950.htm

[drew]

^ great link. Some very cool (and depressing) before/after pictures from around Winnipeg there too.