Polson House demolition raises fears other historical Winnipeg buildings could follow
A piece of Winnipeg's history was reduced to rubble this week as demolition crews began tearing down the Polson House.
The house, built in 1894 at 94 Cathedral Ave., had deteriorated significantly, and local historians worry other landmarks could face a similar fate.
Kenneth Ingram, president of the Seven Oaks Historical Society (SOHS), had fought to preserve the house. He calls its loss "heartbreaking" and "a classic case of demolition by neglect."
Polson House was built for Alexander Polson, a former city councillor and grandson of one of the original Selkirk Settlers.
Beyond its age and important past owner, Ingram says the house had many historical features.
"This one featured many of those distinct features you look for in some of these Victorian-era houses," Ingram said.
"Features like steeply pitched roofs, dormer windows, ornaments like finials and dentil molding, and just stuff you don't really see on houses built nowadays."
The house did not have official heritage status, although Ingram says even that might not have saved it.
Previous owners weren't able to keep up with needed repairs. A developer plans to split the lot into two single-family houses with secondary suites.
The developer could not be reached for comment before publication.
While it's too late to do anything to save the Polson House, the SOHS worries Bleak House, which is even older, might be next.
The house at 1637 Main St. was built in 1875 by Colin Inkster, a member of an influential Winnipeg family also descended from Selkirk Settlers, and a former member of the Legislative Assembly.
Jim Smith, president of the Northeast Winnipeg Historical Society, has been checking on the house every month for a year and a half, and he says he's noticed the deterioration progressing.
In one spot, he said, the siding has fallen away and insulation has been exposed.
"You see the outer boards of all are rotted off," Smith said. "In fact, when the snow is not there, you can see pieces of it on the ground."
Unlike the Polson House, Bleak House is owned by the City of Winnipeg. Smith says the city has not been maintaining the building.
"I find it really disgusting … because the longer it lasts, the worse it gets," he said.
Whether it's a private entity or the City of Winnipeg, Ingram says, it's up to the owners of historical buildings to preserve them.
"At the end of the day, you need to find the right owner for the right house for the right purpose. All those stars need to align so that it is being used, it's not vacant, and it's able to survive for many more decades."
Bleak House is currently used by a seniors group.
A city spokesperson says it's looking for funding opportunities to preserve the building. It's a designated heritage resource, and there are no plans to sell it, the spokesperson said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Canada Standard
6 days ago
- Canada Standard
What if Alberta really did vote to separate?
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is using sovereignty sentiments in Alberta as a kind of implied threat to get a better deal for the province. In a letter to Mark Carney in the run-up to the recent first ministers conference in Saskatoon, Smith told the prime minister that failure to build additional pipelines for Alberta oil would "send an unwelcome signal to Albertans concerned about Ottawa's commitment to national unity." Accordingly, it's worth asking: what would happen if Alberta did vote to leave? Two historical touch points are the 1995 sovereignty referendum in Quebec and the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom in 2016. In different ways, both examples drive home one inevitable point: in the event of a vote to pursue sovereignty, the future of Alberta would have to be negotiated one painful and uncertain step at a time. Sovereignty is an assertion of independent governmental authority, notably including a monopoly over the legitimate use of force over a defined people and territory. Unlike provinces in a country like Canada, sovereign countries co-operate with each other if - and only if - it's in their interests to do so. Some proponents of separatism have argued that an independent Alberta could rely on international law to secure continued access to tidewater through Canada. The idea seems to form the basis of Smith's assertions that one nation cannot "landlock" another under international law. But that's not the case. What's more, international law - even if it does apply in theory - doesn't always hold in practice. That's because between countries, formal anarchy prevails: no one has the responsibility to enforce international law on their own. If one country breaks international law, it's up to other countries to respond. If that doesn't happen, then it just doesn't happen. Simply put, if Alberta were to leave Canada, it would lose all enforceable rights and protections offered by the Canadian Constitution and enforced by the institutions and courts. In their place, Alberta would get exactly - and only - what it can bargain for. The Quebec independence saga has in many ways clarified and refined the path to potential secession for provinces in Canada, and hints at what can happen in the aftermath of a sovereignty referendum. In the wake of the near miss that was the 1995 referendum - when those wanting to remain in Canada defeated those who voted to separate with the narrowest of margins - Jean Chretien's Liberal government took rapid steps to respond. Plan A focused on actions aimed at addressing Quebec's grievances, not unlike Carney's quest for a national consensus to build an additional pipeline. Another course of action, known as Plan B, defined the path to secession. The federal government asked the Supreme Court of Canada for a clarification on the legality of sovereignty. It then passed the Clarity Act, which enshrined into law Ottawa's understanding of the court's answer. The reference and act both made clear that any secession attempt could be triggered only by a "clear majority" on a "clear question." The act also illuminated the stakes of secession. The preamble of the legislation, for instance, spells out that provincial sovereignty would mean the end of guaranteed Canadian citizenship for departing provincial residents. The act also lays out some of the points to be negotiated in the event of secession, "including the division of assets and liabilities, any changes to the borders of the province, the rights, interests and territorial claims of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, and the protection of minority rights." Simply put, everything would be on the table if Albertans opted to separate. Brexit provides an example of just how painful that process can be. After voting to leave the European Union, the U.K. found itself bogged down in a difficult negotiation process that continues to this day. Political, economic and trade rights - even including the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland - have all been painfully reconstituted through complex negotiations. Despite the promises made by those who advocated in favour of Brexit, the U.K. will continue to pay in perpetuity for access to the limited EU services it still retains. The U.K. is dealing with these challenges even though it was already a sovereign state. Alberta is not. Everything between a sovereign Alberta and its neighbours would be subject to difficult negotiations, both in the initial days of an independent Albertan state and any subsequent discussions. Once independent, Alberta would be a landlocked, oil-exporting nation. It would be negotiating with Canada - and the United States, its neighbour to the south - over every aspect of its new relationship. Its borders with other provinces and territories would need be negotiated, as would the status of marginalized populations and Indigenous Peoples within Alberta. The status of lands subject to treaty - in other words, most of the province - would have to be negotiated. Indigenous Peoples themselves have already made clear they have no interest in secession and would mount a vigorous defence of Indigenous rights as they exist within Canada. After all, if Canada is divisible, so is Alberta. A new republic has no automatic claims to territory with respect to Indigenous Peoples and treaty lands. Once borders were settled, Alberta would have little leverage and would need a lot of help as a country of about 4.5 million negotiating with neighbours of 35 million in Canada and 350 million in the U.S. Who would be its allies? Nothing would be guaranteed, not Alberta's admission to the United Nations, the establishment of an Albertan currency and exchange rates, national and continental defence, the management of shared borders and citizenship rules or the terms of cross-border trade and investment. Access to Canadian ports would be at Canada's discretion, negotiated on terms Canada considered in its interests. Alberta could no more force a pipeline through Canada than through the United States. Of course, a republic of Alberta would be free to pursue deeper relations with the American republic to its south. The U.S president, however, has already made clear what would be the likely terms for free trade: accession. Here, too, there would be no guarantees. Alberta could just as easily become an American territory, with limited representation, as it could a 51st state. "Puerto Rico North" is as possible as "Alaska South." Gone too would be any claims to share collective goods. Alberta's neighbours would have no incentive, for instance, to help with the inevitable post-oil clean-up, estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Simply put, if Alberta were to vote to leave Canada, it would truly be on its own.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Dalnavert shines during Doors Open Winnipeg
West End I really enjoyed touring Dalnavert House during Doors Open Winnipeg. There were many interesting and historic locales welcoming visitors during Heritage Winnipeg's annual weekend event (held May 24 and 25) but Dalnavert House didn't disappoint. The museum, which includes an attached visitor centre, is nestled downtown at 61 Carlton St. The grounds are verdant and the garden is blooming. The gothic-looking Victorian mansion was built for Hugh John MacDonald, the son of Sir John A Macdonald, and his family in 1895. (At that time many well-to-do Winnipeggers lived just south of Broadway.) Volunteers in period costume imparted interesting facts and anecdotes about life in the house from the moment my group stepped onto the faithfully restored veranda. Photo by Anne Hawe The coal stove in the kitchen at Dalnavert is one reminder of how different life was more than a century ago. Hugh John was a notable Manitoban. A lawyer and politician, he was premier of the province for a very short time before becoming Winnipeg's magistrate. Although he took a hard line against strikers during the Winnipeg general strike in 1919, he was also known to let women and children sleep in the basement instead of being sent to Vaughan Street jail for stealing. History is complicated and the museum doesn't sugarcoat it. The jewel-toned carpet and wallpaper, the narrow hallways, and the beautifully appointed rooms on the first floor were atmospheric. The icebox and the cumbersome coal-burning stove in the kitchen illuminated how hard the cook and the maid would have worked to put food on the table — all with only half a day off, on Sundays. The white doorknobs in the kitchen? They were there to ensure the help washed their hands in case typhoid, influenza or Spanish flu lurked. After Hugh John died in 1929, his wife, Agnes, couldn't afford the upkeep. The house sat empty before being converted into a rooming house. The Manitoba Historical Society bought it from a developer then spent several years painstakingly renovating it before opening it as a museum in 1974. The doors closed in 2013 but the newly formed Friends of Dalnavert Museum non-profit re-opened it in 2015. The vibrant and community-minded organization brings history to life at the museum. lists Victorian themed workshops and events coming up this month. There is everything from a flower pressing workshop to watercolour painting in the garden while sipping mimosas to a foodie tour featuring Victorian snacks. Mondays A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities. Perennially popular tours listed include Dalnavert on Drugs which explores Victorian drug culture, and Behind the Ropes which offers a closer look at Dalnavert's many rooms. Only the visitors centre and the first floor are accessible so there is a virtual tour of the house on the site. And admission is always free on the second Saturday of every month with family-friendly activities included. Anne HaweWest End community correspondent Anne Hawe is a community correspondent for the West End. She can be reached at annie_hawe@ Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Cision Canada
7 days ago
- Cision Canada
Winners of the 2025 Excellence in Retailing Awards Announced Français
Retailers in Canada Raise the Bar Again, Showcasing Bold Innovation and Leadership TORONTO, June 3, 2025 /CNW/ - In a time of accelerated transformation and rising consumer expectations, retailers in Canada are proving once again that they don't just adapt—they lead. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) proudly announced the 14 winners of the 2025 Excellence in Retailing Awards (ERA) tonight at the much-anticipated Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala, a highlight moment of RCCSTORE25 Conference in Toronto. The gala evening also saw the presentation of three distinguished Awards of Distinction and fourteen Retail Education Scholarships, spotlighting both seasoned leadership and the next generation of retail talent. "This year's ERA winners exemplify the bold, purpose-driven spirit that defines retail in Canada today," said Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO, Retail Council of Canada. "From championing employee well-being to reimagining the in-store experience and investing deeply in sustainability and community, these retailers are setting a global standard for what it means to lead with impact." 2025 Excellence in Retailing Awards winners are: Brisebois added: "I also extend my heartfelt congratulations to this year's distinguished recipients of the Awards of Distinction: François Roberge from la Vie en Rose and Jenn Harper from Cheekbone Beauty for exceptional achievements, resilient leadership and courageous, forward-thinking strategies. At a time when it might be easier to take a cautious path, these retailers have chosen to lead with vision, integrity, and impact." This year's Gala also marked a poignant moment of celebration as the industry honoured Diane J. Brisebois for her remarkable 30-year tenure as President & CEO of RCC with an induction into the Canadian Retail Hall of Fame. "Diane's unwavering commitment and tireless leadership have elevated the retail sector to new heights," said Santo Ligotti, Vice President, Marketing and Membership, Retail Council of Canada. "Her legacy will continue to inspire the next generation of retail leaders across the country." Among the fourteen students awarded Retail Education Scholarships, four received additional honours. Alana Tollenaar (sponsored by JRoss Recruiters) Emilio Velazquez (sponsored by RCC) Amaira Bons (sponsored by Browns Shoes) David Medcalfe (sponsored by Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.) Learn more about the Excellence in Retail Awards selection criteria, and the Retail Education Scholarship Program. Retail is Canada's largest private-sector employer with over 2.3 million Canadians working in our industry. This sector is a major economic contributor, generating more than $93 billion annually in wages and employee benefits. In 2024, core retail sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline) exceeded $508 billion. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members account for more than two-thirds of these core retail sales and 95 per cent of the grocery market. Our membership extends across the country, embracing over 54,000 storefronts in diverse formats such as department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers, online merchants, and quick service restaurants. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, RCC, a not-for-profit, industry-funded association, proudly represents retail businesses of all sizes, from small independents to large national chains, in communities nationwide.
