Downtown Places: Manitoba Children's Museum

Project: Manitoba Children's Museum Renovation (Website)
Location: The Forks (Map)
Constructed: 1890 (as museum 1994)
Project Cost: $10m
Status: Completed

Background:

Circa 1980s Source

The Manitoba Children's Museum building has had a long and varied life.

It was constructed in 1889 - 1890 as a mechanical shop for the upstart Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway.

The NP & Man was a partnership between the the Government of Manitoba under Premier Greenway and the American company Northern Pacific Railway. The purpose was to get around the CPR's painfully slow expansion of their branch lines within the province. NP & Man's main line ran from Winnipeg to St. Paul, Minnesota (68 miles of track) with branch lines from Brandon / Morris (185 miles) and Portage la Prairie (55 miles).

The railway's depot and signature building was the Manitoba Hotel, situated where the Federal Building is now at Main and Water. It was destroyed by fire on February 9, 1899.

The building remained a repair facility until the railway was swallowed up by Canadian National. From then it served a number of functions including an immigration hall and soup kitchen and eventually was renovated into CN offices.

When CN vacated their East Yards in the early 1980s the "Bridges and Structures" building was included in the plans for The Forks National Historic site. Though it would sit vacant for a number of years.

It was in 1993 that the Manitoba Children’s Museum, operating in the Exchange since 1986, began a $4 m fund raising drive to take over the building. They opened at the new site on June 1, 1994.

In September 2010 the museum temporarily closed to allow for a $10m refurbishment and expansion. Aside from all new attractions the museum is building the Buhler Welcome Centre, thanks to an $800,000 gift from John and Bonnie Buhler. The centre will act as the new admissions and visitor services area.

The museum will reopen on June 4, 2011 which is also its 25th anniversary. For an inside peek at the renos check out the museum's video page or interactive map.

Related:
The Northern Pacific and Manitoba Burrows and Masters
Manitoba Children's Museum Winnipeg Building Index
Provincial Heritage Site No. 88 Manitoba Heritage
The NP and Man. Railway Engine Shop MHS
Manitoba Children's Museum History Museum website
Museum gets big boost from Buhlers Free Press

UPDATE: June 2011

Children’s Museum Reopens to the Public

News: Forks Housing Plan Revealed

Forks Housing Plan Revealed
CBC April 18, 2010
The proposal, which calls for the construction of as many as 350 condominiums and apartments at the historic site, would bring thousands of residents to the area within the next five years.

The Forks Concept Plans for 2010 - 2020

Today the Forks North Portage Partnership released their ten year concept plan (2010 - 2020) for development at The Forks.

Their plans range from the specific, such as the upcoming Parks Canada - Variety Heritage Adventure Park, to very general such as a commitment to work with the other levels of government to ensure a 'Waterfront Vision' that encompasses more land and development than what is currently considered 'the waterfront'.

What captured the most attention was the re-introduction of an old idea: the possibility of housing units at what is called the rail side lot adjacent to the CN tracks. The proposal envisions a 10 storey tower with a mix of 'market affordable' rental and owned units.

There are open house opportunities through the end of April.

Related:
The Forks housing complex revealed CBC Apr 18, 2010
Condos Touted for the Forks Winnipeg Free Press Apr 17, 2010
The Forks Concept Plan 2001-2010 (pdf)

TorStar on Human Rights Museum Design

Christopher Hume, the Toronto Star's architecture critic, takes a look at the Human Rights Museum Toronto Star Dec 19, 2009

Construction update photos December 2009. For more see :

The Forks - Canadian Museum for Human RIghts

Project: The Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Address: The Forks

Website: CMHR

Status: In Process

Size: Space 200k sq ft. Height 100 metres

Cost: $265m

Background

Launched in April 2003 by the late Izzy Asper, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights has come a long way in a short period.

In 2004-5 an international design competition was held and American architect Antoine Predock was chosen to design the facility.

By March 2008 the Canadian Museum for Human Rights became a Crown Corporation. The facility will be one of 5 national museums, the first one since 1967 and the first located outside the National Capital Region. (UPDATE: Pier 21 in Halifax became a national museum in Spring 2010 so this will be the second museum outside of Ottawa).

The official groundbreaking took place in December 2008 and construction began in Spring 2009. The expected completion date is Spring 2012.

Related:

CMHR Home Page

PM joins groundbreaking ceremony of CMHR - News Release

Architectural Digest (Video): Anotine Predock

Predock.com Architecture

Human Right Museum Unveils Winning Design - CBC

May 2009:

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Update:

Latest renderings of CMHR Winnipeg Free Press