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.
Friendsofdalnavert.ca 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@hotmail.com
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Toronto Star
From ‘Tudo bem?' to ‘Gracias,' a growing share of US residents speak a language other than English
Spanish may be the most spoken language at home behind English, except in three U.S. states, but the second most-popular, non-English languages used in each state show off the diversity of the United States in unexpected places, whether it's Korean in Alabama or Vietnamese in Kansas. Almost 22% of U.S. residents age 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, double the share from four decades ago, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau, and it varied by state. In California, 44% of residents spoke a language other than English at home, while it was 2.5% in West Virginia.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
From ‘Tudo bem?' to ‘Gracias,' a growing share of US residents speak a language other than English
Spanish may be the most spoken language at home behind English, except in three U.S. states, but the second most-popular, non-English languages used in each state show off the diversity of the United States in unexpected places, whether it's Korean in Alabama or Vietnamese in Kansas. Almost 22% of U.S. residents age 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, double the share from four decades ago, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau, and it varied by state. In California, 44% of residents spoke a language other than English at home, while it was 2.5% in West Virginia. The United States is a multilingual nation due to immigration, despite recent crackdowns by the Trump administration, said William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution. 'This is a big part of who we've been over a long period of time,' Frey said. President Donald Trump earlier this year issued an executive order designating English as the official language in the U.S. Spanish was spoken at home by 13.2% of speakers, and it was the top non-English language spoken at home in every state but Hawaii, Maine and Vermont. In Maine and Vermont, home to French Canadian communities, French was the most popular non-English language, and in Hawaii, it was Iloko, a Filipino language. Here's a look at where languages are spoken in the United States. Arabic Outside of English and Spanish, Arabic was the most spoken language at home in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. The Detroit, Michigan, area has more Arabic speakers than any other metro area. Central Yup'ik About 1 out of 7 Alaskans who speak a language other than English at home did so in Central Yup'ik, making the native language the second most common non-English language behind Spanish in Alaska. Chinese Chinese was the second-most common non-English language spoken at home in Delaware, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. If all Chinese dialects are combined, it would be the third most spoken language in California behind English and Spanish. French Although it was the dominant non-English language in Maine and Vermont, French was the second most-common non-English language in Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire and North Carolina. German German was the most spoken language behind English and Spanish in eight states — Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Wyoming. In total, more than 871,000 people over age 5 spoke German at home in 2021, compared to 1.6 million in 1980. Haitian Florida had almost a half million Haitian speakers, making it the most common language behind English and Spanish. The Sunshine State has the nation's largest Haitian population. Hmong In Minnesota and Wisconsin, Hmong was the second-most spoken non-English language at home. Many Hmong people settled in the Upper Midwest states after fleeing Southeast Asia in the mid-1970s following the Vietnam War. Korean Korean was the most spoken language in Alabama and Virginia behind English and Spanish. Lakota In South Dakota, the Lakota dialect of the Sioux people was the most common language spoken behind English and Spanish. Marshallese The language of the Marshall Islands was the second-most spoken non-English language in Arkansas, where the community is concentrated in the northwest part of the state. Navajo Arizona and New Mexico had the most Navajo speakers in the United States. The Navajo Nation extends into Arizona and New Mexico, where the indigenous language was the second-most popular non-English speech in those two states. Polish Despite a nationwide decline in speakers, Polish was Illinois' second-most common non-English language behind Spanish, primarily due to the Chicago area having one of the nation's largest Polish communities. Portuguese Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island have some of the largest concentrations of Portuguese speakers in the U.S., making it the most spoken language in these states behind English and Spanish. It also is the second-most common non-English language in Utah, which is home to missionaries who served in Brazil and explains its popularity, according to the University of Utah. Tagalog The Filipino language was prevalent in California, Hawaii and Nevada, where it was the second-most popular non-English tongue. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Vietnamese In Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas, Vietnamese was the most popular language behind English and Spanish, reflecting that people who speak different languages are no longer concentrated in big cities that serve as entry points for immigrants. 'People of different backgrounds are dispersed to different parts of the country,' Frey said. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bike Week Winnipeg to run June 8 to 14
St. Boniface WINNIPEG It's time to party — and a collective invitation has been issued to the city's bike community to join in the fun. Bike Week Winnipeg will host two neighbourhood bike parties in Westwood and St. Vital, on June 6 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. (3550 Portage Ave.), and on June 13 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. (5 Fermor Ave.), respectively, to celebrate cycling as an inclusive activity for everyone. The parties will include bike activities with Green Kids, bike decorating, refreshments, and free bike tune-ups courtesy of Vélo-Cité or The W.R.E.N.C.H. During Bike Week, which officially runs between June 8 and 14, Winnipeggers are also invited to attend group rides, workshops, and events such as the Bike Week Bash, Bike Winnipeg's Kidical Mass group ride for families, and Bike to Work Day on June 10. Supplied photo Participants of a group ride during last year's Bike to Work Day are pictured here. This year's Bike Week Winnipeg will run from June 8 to 14. 'Bike Week is a celebration of bicycles and everyone that uses them,' said Charleswood resident Dave Elmore, who chairs Bike Week's board of directors. 'We like to say it's for everyone, as when we started, Bike Week was more aimed at commuters. Now, it's for anybody and everybody that rides bikes.' Ultimately, one of Bike Week's universal goals is to encourage people to get on their bicycles rather than take single-occupant vehicle journeys. Elmore — a passionate cyclist himself — said the emergence of e-bikes in recent years has also become part of the conversation. 'In my personal opinion, e-bikes are shrinking the city, and they're giving people the opportunity to ride further in a shorter time,' he said, noting there will be numerous pit stops for riders on Bike to Work Day (presented by CAA Manitoba) to stop and refuel and enjoy snacks and swag. Elmore said there will be a group ride that day from Assiniboine Park to The Forks, and that people can 'jump on and drop off' at any time between 6 and 9 a.m. 'Bike Week is so important to me in so many ways. It's about encouraging people to get on their bikes and ride,' Elmore said. 'It's important to embrace and utilise our active transportation system, and there's also the environmental aspect.' Bike Week Winnipeg event producer Andraea Sartison is thrilled this year's event offers so many opportunities for people to get involved. Mondays A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities. The St. Boniface resident said she's encouraged by the volume of local businesses lending their support. Sartison also said organizers are also welcoming any financial support community members can muster in a crowdfunding model: 'We're asking for a little community support this year. We're accepting any dollar amount, starting at $5.' 'We want to continue to grow, and we need a little love. Winnipeg is a very grassroots city, with a small town vibe in a big city, and people are always happy to contribute.' Visit for more information. Simon FullerCommunity Journalist Simon Fuller is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. Email him at or call him at 204-697-7111. 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.
