History of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

1738 - Fort Rouge (Winnipeg) established

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1811 - Lord Selkirk established first European agricultural settlement near Winnipeg

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1826 - Flood severely impacted settlers at Selkirk Settlement (now Winnipeg)

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1873 - Winnipeg incorporated as a city

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1876 - St. Mary’s Cathedral established at Winnipeg

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1877 - June 20 - First classes meets at the University of Manitoba. - Winnipeg, Manitoba

canadachannel.ca/ todayincanadianhistory/ index.php/ June_20

1887 - Mrs. Joseph Farrell, of Winnipeg, is famed as the first white woman married in the Canadian Northwest.
The ceremony took place at Fort Whoop-Up in 1877. It was the occasion of a big blowout on the part of the Blood and Blackfeet Indians, who turned out in great numbers in holiday garb, firing guns, yelling, eating, dancing and having a good time generally in genuine Indian fashion.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
January 29, 1887

1888 - Immigrants Flocking into Winnipeg.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., April 12 - A special from Winnipeg says that the number of immigrants arriving is increasing rapidly, and upwards of 2,000 have reached that point since the middle of March. Many are farmers from Ontario, who bring their stock and farming implements with them.

St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
April 14, 1888

1895 - Winnipeg
Winnipeg, or Fort Garry, the seat of government of the province of Manitoba and of Selkirk co, situated at the junction of the Assiniboin and Red Rivers, 40 miles S. of Lake Winnipeg, 65 miles by rail from Pembina, Dakota, 250 miles from Fort Abercrombie, and 1180 miles from Montreal via Canada Pacific Railway, or 1843 miles via Chicago and St. Paul. The city contains about 25 stores, several saw-mills, 4 printing-offices, a theatre, a Church-of England cathedral, Presbyterian and Wesleyan churches, a bank and a branch bank, government house, legislative buildings, many good dwellings, and a strong and regular fortification. It is the seat of Manitoba College, St. John's College, St. Mary's Academy, the University of Manitoba, and the Metropolitan of the North-West. Opposite the town is St. Boniface. Pop. in 1881, 7985; in 1891, 25,642.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

1899 - $400,000 FIRE AT WINNIPEG. MANITOBA HOTEL AND NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD OFFICES DESTROYED.
Winnipeg, Man., Feb. 9. - The Manitoba Hotel and the Northern Pacific offices were completely destroyed by fire last night. Loss, $400,000.
The hotel was seven stories high, accommodating 400 guests, and was the finest Canadian hotel west of Montreal. It was built in 1891 by the Northern Pacific, and cost over $300,000. The company carried its own insurance, so the loss is total.

The fire brigade worked heroically under the disadvantages of a bitter north wind and the mercury 43 below. There were several narrow escapes, but no casualties, all having been given timely warning. Most of the walls have fallen. The freight sheds adjoining were saved.
The Daily Gazette
Janesville, Wisconsin
February 9, 1899

1909 - NORTHWEST HAS EARTHQUAKE - Tremor Believed to be an "Echo" from South America.
Winnipeg, Man., May 17. - When the earthquake shocks were felt here Saturday evening efforts were immediately put forth to ascertain the extent of the territory covered by the tremors and the amount of the damage inflicted.

Telegrams were sent out from Winnipeg to various places, and in some instances emissaries were dispatched from certain centers to inaccessible points.

Compilation of the reports received here Sunday reveal the fact that shocks varying in intensity were felt all through Canadian prairies west at about 10:20 o'clock central time Saturday evening, in most places rattling dishes, banging doors and shaking windows, while at several points people were driven in alarm out of doors.

At Wolseley the well of the of the electric light plant caved in just before the shock was felt and the town was plunged in darkness.

At Regina patients in the hospital were shaken out of bed and people rushed in terror from hotels and big buildings.

Other places report cracked... Read MORE...

1910 - July 3 - Grand Trunk Pacific Railway inagurates a daily passenger service from Winnipeg to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Edmonton, Alberta.

canadachannel.ca/ todayincanadianhistory/ index.php/ July_3

1912 - FIVE DIE WHEN WALL FALLS DURING WAREHOUSE BLAZE. WINNIPEG (MANITOBA) FIRE SWEEPS INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER BUILDING AND SPREADS TO ADJOINING STRUCTURES.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, March 9. - Five persons were killed and many injured during the progress of a fire which started in the immense brick warehouse of the International Harvester Company tonight. The loss is placed at $750,000.

A wall of the warehouse was blown out by an explosion, trapping a fire-fighting party. Three of the dead men were firemen. The warehouse was filled with valuable farming machinery.

The Canadian Pacific Railroad Station and the Royal Alexandra Hotel were menaced by the flames. Later the fire spread to the city power plant, which was so badly damaged that at least half of the city is in darkness.

Every fire-fighting crew in the city is at work and every ambulance is on the scene. It is feared the disaster will increase in magnitude, as the fire is not yet under control.
The Indianapolis Star
Indianapolis, Indiana
March 10, 1912

1923 - June 22 - Manitoba ends prohibition, and adopts government control of the sale of alcohol instead. - Winnipeg, Manitoba

canadachannel.ca/ todayincanadianhistory/ index.php/ June_22

1926 - WINNIPEG FIRE WAS SPECTACULAR. HIGH PRESSURE STREAMS PLAYING ON WALLS UNDERMINED THEM, CAUSING DEATH OF THREE MEN.
Winnipeg, Dec. 23. - In the spectacular Winnipeg Theatre fire today, fifteen minutes after the alarm had been sounded the entire surrounding district was enveloped in smoke. Flames burst through the frail structure a few minutes later.

Firemen forced their way into the building and although protected by smoke masks many were forced to retreat before the intense heat. As the fire worked its way through the auditorium and stage of the theatre a score of firemen rushed through the dense smoke with lines of hose. Upstairs, licked by flames, they succeeded in reaching the balcony. Several streams were played upon the interior and it was the force of the high pressure streams that undermined the walls and sent them crashing upon the men inside. Rescue crews were hurriedly organized and all available ambulances in the city summoned. Nine of the trapped men were recovered, most of them having sustained minor injuries and burns.

A. E. SMITH, driver of the fire chief's car, was struck by... Read MORE...

1928 - 5 PERISH AS FLAMES SWEEP ENTIRE BLOCK OF WINNIPEG STORES. MANY INJURED, OTHERS OVERCOME BY SMOKE - WOMEN LEAP FROM FLAMING WINDOWS. 12 ARE INJURED.
THREE BODIES FOUND ON FLOOR OF APARTMENTS - TWO DIE AT HOSPITAL FOLLOWING RESCUE.

Winnipeg, Man., April 14. - (AP) - Five dead, four women and a man, a dozen injured, with many others overcome by smoke, was the toll of a fire which swept the Casa Loma, a combined apartment and business block here Saturday afternoon.

Two of the women succumbed in a hospital after being rescued from the burning structure. Three bodies were found on the floor of the apartment rooms.

So suddenly did the flames gain headway, that all avenues of escape were cut off in a few minutes.

When firemen reached the place a number of women had climbed out to the ledges of windows. Fire nets were quickly spread and two women jumped as flames began to lick the window frames. One of the women struck a projecting ledge and suffered a broken leg and other injuries.
Billings Gazette
Billings, Montana
April 15, 1928

1950 - Winnipeg flood along Red River caused immense damage and one death

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1950 - Harry Wasylyk, Larry Hansen and Frank Plomp, three friends who worked for a plastic company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, invented the useful plastic bag in 1950 which the world today uses to throw trash into.

canadaalive.wordpress.com/ 2010/ 08/ 11/ invented-in-canada/

1952 - THOUSANDS SEE THEATRE GO UP IN $75,000 BLAZE.
Fire Thursday gutted the 42-year-old Furby theatre, 597 Portage avenue, causing damage estimated at $75,000.

No one was injured.

Friday morning city engineering officials probed the ruins and one said the tower at the front of the building was in a "pretty precarious position." A complete report on the state of the building was expected by Friday afternoon.

HANS FRIES, owner of the Dandy Diner Food Bar, 601 Portage, and JOHN GILLESPIE, 696 Academy Rd., turned in the first alarms after 3 p.m. MR. FRIES said smoke started seeping through the walls into his kitchen. The theatre, scheduled to open at 6 p.m., was empty.

N. V. CAMPBELL, assistant fire commissioner, said he was unable to state the cause of the blaze. "When firemen arrived the smoke was so dense they couldn't enter either the front or rear doors even with gas masks," he said.

Firemen from four stations fought the blaze for more than an hour before bringing it under control. Several hours later, they were still... Read MORE...

1956 - Winnipeg connected to Trans Canada Telephone System

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Winnipeg
The nucleus of the future city of Winnipeg was related to the construction of a general store by Henry McKenney in 1862. McKenney built his store where the fur-runners' trail coming down the Assiniboine River to Fort Garry crossed the trail running down the Red River — in present-day Winnipeg, the corner of Portage and Main. Until 1873, when Winnipeg was incorporated as a city, the settlement remained a relatively unimportant part of the larger Red River Colony. When the first city council meeting was held in 1874, the city had a population of 3,700 and was little more than a collection of shacks.

Winnipeg's strategic geographical location made it the natural focus for the western extension of the transcontinental railways. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885 brought the city a period of growth and prosperity unequalled in Canadian urban development. A flood of immigrants, high wheat prices, plentiful capital and improved dryland farming all contributed to... Read MORE...

2023 - Here's a list of places to go and things to do in Winnipeg:
The Forks: A historic site where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet. It's a hub of activity with shops, restaurants, and outdoor spaces. In winter, there's even a skating rink.

Assiniboine Park: A sprawling urban park with beautiful gardens, walking trails, and the Assiniboine Park Zoo. The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden is a highlight.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights: This architecturally stunning museum is the first in the world dedicated to human rights. It's both educational and thought-provoking.

Winnipeg Art Gallery: Home to a vast collection of Canadian and Indigenous art, including the world's largest collection of Inuit art.

Manitoba Museum: Explore the province's rich history, from the prehistoric era to modern times. The planetarium is a hit with space enthusiasts.

Royal Canadian Mint: Take a tour to see how coins are made. You might even get to hold a gold bar!

Exchange District: A historic neighborhood with beautifully preserved architecture. It's also a... Read MORE...