Fair Exchange…
Bird’s-eye view of the Exchange District Winnipeg
I’ve just found out that Canadians call a one dollar coin a ‘Loonie’ and a two dollar coin a ‘Toonie’. Great, now I know I’ll never be short of cash in this country. I always have a couple of Loonies with me!
Anyway, the Loonies, I mean the Oldies, took themselves downtown yet again, this time with a view to exploring the Exchange District. Apparently, Winnipeg was one of the fastest growing cities in North America around the turn of the last century. The Exchange District, with its warehouses, large commercial and financial buildings and skyscrapers, sprang up during the economic boom, earning Winnipeg the reputation of the ‘Chicago of the North’. After World War I and the Depression, of course, the bubble burst and most of the local companies eventually went out of business.
I dug in my webbed feet when I heard that expedition involved ghosts! No thanks, not for me! I was reassured, however, when I realised that we were only going in search of ‘ghost signs’. These are the remnants of the advertisements that were originally painted directly onto the brickwork of these historic buildings. They have faded over time, of course, but remain a visible record of the businesses that once thrived here. It’s a weird sort of architectural archaeology, I suppose. You don’t have to dig deep for the traces left behind, but simply look up, high above street level.
I must say that the signs make quite fascinating reading. Businesses such as the ‘OLYMPIC PANT & SPORTWEAR CO. LTD’, ‘CANADIAN SHIRT & OVERALL MFG. CO.’, ‘TOWNE CINEMA 8 Winnipeg’s Finest Movie Entertainment’ and ‘“NUTTY CLUB” CANDIES – NUTS’, are quaint reminders of times gone by.
I also found that the juxtaposition of the old warehouses and the modern skyscrapers made the streetscape all the more interesting. Old and new, side by side. It is always fascinating to see how life has moved on in a city.
The Exchange District itself has moved with the times. It is now a trendy place to visit apparently, with specialist shops, cafés, restaurants and art galleries occupying some of the old warehouses and commercial buildings. The eateries must have been well hidden away though, because all the Wingless Wonders could find was a Poutinerie.
We’d already been in Canada a couple of weeks and still hadn’t tasted the national dish, poutine, a scary-sounding combination of french fries, cheese curds and brown gravy. The Oldies, however, were well tuned into reading the signs at this stage…‘CLOGGING ARTERIES SINCE 2009!’… and they still haven’t tasted poutine. No harm, perhaps.
The Exchange District wasn’t exactly teeming with life, at least not when we were there. There was hardly a soul on the streets, and very little traffic too. His Lordship was even able to step into the middle of the road to take photographs without Her Ladyship having a canary. Definitely a first!
When we did come across any locals, they often stopped to ask the Dynamic Duo where they were from and what had brought them to Winnipeg. One lady in particular seemed astounded to see foreign tourists and was rather concerned about the Oldies. She made a point of saying that she always makes sure that she’s off the streets and at home for the evening by 6pm. Oh, right. Well, I do think one should always do as the locals do…
Apart from the ghost signs, there were some amazing murals in the area. This one illustrates the importance of the Ukrainian population in the city. Ukrainians have been immigrating to Winnipeg since the late 19th century by all accounts. And, sadly, it looks like many more may be coming for a long time to come.
I particularly liked this amazing, colourful mural celebrating local unions…
Yes, there’s no doubt about it – the Exchange District packs a punch!
