100 Main Street - Upper Fort Garry Heritage Park

Project: Upper Fort Garry

Address: 100 - 130 Main Street
Website: Friends of Upper Fort Garry
Status: In Process

Background:
Upper Fort Garry predates Winnipeg as a Hudson Bay Company trading post.

The modern history begins in 1897 when the HBC donated Gateway Park, (the rest of the structure was already demolished) to the City of Winnipeg.

The gate has had many neighbours. To the north: Manitoba Club (1905) and a service station (1925). To the south, the site has been far more active with office buildings, streetcar barns and amusement parks coming and going over the century.

Image: remnants of fort wall, 100 Main.

Past attempts have been made to create something more of the gate and surrounding land. In the late 50s it was thought to be a good place for a new city hall. In the 70s the city planned to create a park and National Heritage Site as it's Manitoba Centennial project until the Centennial Library beat it out. Later that decade, when Gulf applied to reconstruct the service station, there was talk again about purchasing that land to increase the size of the park.

For more detail on the site and plans from 1905 to 2000 see.In 2008 plans to revitalize the site came back to the forefront as the Friends of Upper Fort Garry secured funding from private and government sources to create a park and interpretive centre.

Some work has begun on the site, such as demolition of the 100 Main office building, but final plans are still in progress.

Related:
Upper Fort Garry Notes West End Dumplings
Friends Pave Way for Park WFP Jun. 1 '09
Birthplace of MB to be turned into heritage park CBC May 21 '09
Ottawa chips in $1.5 million for UFG DCN Mar. 26 '08
Dig uncovers more of Upper Fort Garry CBC Oct. 11 '07