People, profit intersect at Portage and Main
Opinion
Since 1862, the intersection of Main Street and Portage Avenue in Winnipeg has been a space split between the competing forces of people and profit.
During the early years, there were fights about how to build roads large enough so people could travel through the area while accommodating the competitive interests of businesses moving in and blocking the thoroughfares.
In the end, the then-governor and council of Assiniboia chose a balance between the two, declaring the intersecting roads would follow the original oxcart paths, parallel to the rivers, and be 'a full two chain (132 foot)' across.
The decree also stated that any business blocking the paths in and out of the intersection would have to make way by 1882.
This idea though, was not new; a balance between multiple interests has always been how Portage and Main works.
For centuries, the area was a stopping place along a north-south trading route traveled by Cree and Anishinaabe peoples and a west-east route journeyed by Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota peoples — all of whom joined together to reside in a vast city the Cree called Nestawaya, or 'Three Points.'
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
Portage Avenue and Main Street has witnessed bustling crowds, paths of streetcars and exponential economic growth — all of which inspired infrastructure and jobs that helped build a city.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
Portage Avenue and Main Street has witnessed bustling crowds, paths of streetcars and exponential economic growth — all of which inspired infrastructure and jobs that helped build a city.
Here, Indigenous peoples lived, traded, and forged treaty — conducting business with one another for centuries.
Life in Nestawaya wasn't perfect (Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples were well known for their wars, for example) but, at the best of times, the nations in what is now Portage and Main found ways to forge peace.
It's no surprise, then, that balancing competing interests solved Portage and Main's first conflict. Over a century, compromise, commitment, and inclusivity has been how Portage and Main has functioned the best.
The corner has witnessed bustling crowds, paths of streetcars and exponential economic growth — all of which inspired infrastructure and jobs that helped build a city.
In the decades after Winnipeg was founded in 1873, the area saw the building of nearby Union Station in 1911, Eaton's department store in 1905, and the Hudson Bay building in 1926.
At Portage and Main, there came the Bank of Montreal building on the southeast corner (built in 1913), the 34-storey Richardson building on the northeast corner (1969), the Commodity Exchange Tower on the northwest corner (1979) and the five-storey Scotiabank building on the southwest corner (1979).
KEN GIGLIOTTI / FREE PRESS FILES
The Bank of Montreal building on the southeast corner of Portage and Main was built in 1913.
KEN GIGLIOTTI / FREE PRESS FILES
The Bank of Montreal building on the southeast corner of Portage and Main was built in 1913.
At the same time, the area was the meeting place where citizens celebrated the end of wars, met kings and princesses, and the Winnipeg Jets signed superstar hockey players.
Finding the balance between people and profit was always the way of Portage and Main — until one side was chosen over the other.
Starting in the 1960s, city planners sought to create a downtown economic hub, based on the idea that forcing foot traffic to travel underground into a warm, enclosed, commercial concourse would increase vehicle flow and support economic development.
That idea became real with the Circus, an underground circular facility that connected all four corners of Portage and Main. After the vision was passed in 1979, all overground movement in the intersection was closed, with barriers built to force citizens below.
Well, some of them.
There was no longer any place for the poor or racialized at Portage and Main.
Profit became the only language of the primary intersection of the city.
For decades, downtown became a transactional place.
Wednesdays
Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences.
For the wealthy, it was a place for business, not a place to live, love, and foster relationships.
Those who did live there were met with a lifeless set of barriers, concrete, and freezing cold wind.
This was especially true of Portage and Main's first inhabitants.
In the 1960s, Indigenous peoples began to return to the space after suffering for decades under brutal policies that controlled movement and commerce — instilling poverty and marginalization in their lives.
Unwelcome in the Circus, Indigenous peoples became the primary inhabitants of the overground, creating a stark divide between societies below and above.
This separation caused division and a deep sense of difference and denial — until the decay caused by both became too much.
Portage and Main became a symbol of what it means to choose one interest over another, money over relationships, and profit over people.
That is, until this unsustainable vision ended.
Now, the intersection has reopened, and, with it, new questions on how to balance people and profit.
A new path for an intersection in a very old centre; a place that has thrived by finding balance, not choosing one path over another.
niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca
Niigaan SinclairColumnist
Niigaan Sinclair is Anishinaabe and is a columnist at the Winnipeg Free Press.
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
People, profit intersect at Portage and Main
Opinion Since 1862, the intersection of Main Street and Portage Avenue in Winnipeg has been a space split between the competing forces of people and profit. During the early years, there were fights about how to build roads large enough so people could travel through the area while accommodating the competitive interests of businesses moving in and blocking the thoroughfares. In the end, the then-governor and council of Assiniboia chose a balance between the two, declaring the intersecting roads would follow the original oxcart paths, parallel to the rivers, and be 'a full two chain (132 foot)' across. The decree also stated that any business blocking the paths in and out of the intersection would have to make way by 1882. This idea though, was not new; a balance between multiple interests has always been how Portage and Main works. For centuries, the area was a stopping place along a north-south trading route traveled by Cree and Anishinaabe peoples and a west-east route journeyed by Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota peoples — all of whom joined together to reside in a vast city the Cree called Nestawaya, or 'Three Points.' MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Portage Avenue and Main Street has witnessed bustling crowds, paths of streetcars and exponential economic growth — all of which inspired infrastructure and jobs that helped build a city. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Portage Avenue and Main Street has witnessed bustling crowds, paths of streetcars and exponential economic growth — all of which inspired infrastructure and jobs that helped build a city. Here, Indigenous peoples lived, traded, and forged treaty — conducting business with one another for centuries. Life in Nestawaya wasn't perfect (Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples were well known for their wars, for example) but, at the best of times, the nations in what is now Portage and Main found ways to forge peace. It's no surprise, then, that balancing competing interests solved Portage and Main's first conflict. Over a century, compromise, commitment, and inclusivity has been how Portage and Main has functioned the best. The corner has witnessed bustling crowds, paths of streetcars and exponential economic growth — all of which inspired infrastructure and jobs that helped build a city. In the decades after Winnipeg was founded in 1873, the area saw the building of nearby Union Station in 1911, Eaton's department store in 1905, and the Hudson Bay building in 1926. At Portage and Main, there came the Bank of Montreal building on the southeast corner (built in 1913), the 34-storey Richardson building on the northeast corner (1969), the Commodity Exchange Tower on the northwest corner (1979) and the five-storey Scotiabank building on the southwest corner (1979). KEN GIGLIOTTI / FREE PRESS FILES The Bank of Montreal building on the southeast corner of Portage and Main was built in 1913. KEN GIGLIOTTI / FREE PRESS FILES The Bank of Montreal building on the southeast corner of Portage and Main was built in 1913. At the same time, the area was the meeting place where citizens celebrated the end of wars, met kings and princesses, and the Winnipeg Jets signed superstar hockey players. Finding the balance between people and profit was always the way of Portage and Main — until one side was chosen over the other. Starting in the 1960s, city planners sought to create a downtown economic hub, based on the idea that forcing foot traffic to travel underground into a warm, enclosed, commercial concourse would increase vehicle flow and support economic development. That idea became real with the Circus, an underground circular facility that connected all four corners of Portage and Main. After the vision was passed in 1979, all overground movement in the intersection was closed, with barriers built to force citizens below. Well, some of them. There was no longer any place for the poor or racialized at Portage and Main. Profit became the only language of the primary intersection of the city. For decades, downtown became a transactional place. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. For the wealthy, it was a place for business, not a place to live, love, and foster relationships. Those who did live there were met with a lifeless set of barriers, concrete, and freezing cold wind. This was especially true of Portage and Main's first inhabitants. In the 1960s, Indigenous peoples began to return to the space after suffering for decades under brutal policies that controlled movement and commerce — instilling poverty and marginalization in their lives. Unwelcome in the Circus, Indigenous peoples became the primary inhabitants of the overground, creating a stark divide between societies below and above. This separation caused division and a deep sense of difference and denial — until the decay caused by both became too much. Portage and Main became a symbol of what it means to choose one interest over another, money over relationships, and profit over people. That is, until this unsustainable vision ended. Now, the intersection has reopened, and, with it, new questions on how to balance people and profit. A new path for an intersection in a very old centre; a place that has thrived by finding balance, not choosing one path over another. Niigaan SinclairColumnist Niigaan Sinclair is Anishinaabe and is a columnist at the Winnipeg Free Press. 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Brazil strikes deal with Musk's Starlink to curb criminal use in the Amazon rainforest
Brasilia, BRAZIL (AP) — Brazil's Federal Prosecutor's Office announced Friday a deal with Elon Musk's Starlink to curb the use of its services in illegal mining and other criminal activities in the Amazon. Starlink's lightweight, high-speed internet system has rapidly spread across the Amazon, a region that for decades struggled with slow and unreliable connectivity. But the service has also been adopted by criminal organizations, which have used it to coordinate logistics, make payments and receive alerts about police raids. It's the first agreement of its kind aimed at curbing such use following years of pressure from Brazilian authorities. Starlink, a division of Musk's SpaceX, will begin requiring identification and proof of residence from all new users in Brazil's Amazon region starting in January. The company will also provide Brazilian authorities with user registration and geolocation data for internet units located in areas under investigation. If a terminal is confirmed to be used for illegal activity, Starlink has committed to blocking the service. The deal is for two years and can be renewed. Illegal gold mining has contaminated hundreds of miles of Amazon rivers with mercury and disrupted the traditional lives of several Indigenous tribes, including the Yanomami. Starlink, which first arrived in the region in 2022, has enabled criminal groups to manage mining operations in remote areas, where logistics are complex and equipment and fuel must be transported by small plane or boat. 'The use of satellite internet has transformed the logistics of illegal mining. This new reality demands a proportional legal response. With the agreement, connectivity in remote areas also becomes a tool for environmental responsibility and respect for sovereignty,' federal prosecutor André Porreca said in a statement. Illegal gold miners and loggers have always had some form of communication, mainly via radio, to evade law enforcement. Starlink, with its fast and mobile internet, has significantly enhanced that capability, Hugo Loss, operations coordinator for Brazil's environmental agency, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'They've been able to transmit in real time the locations of enforcement teams, allowing them to anticipate our arrival, which seriously compromises the safety of our personnel and undermines the effectiveness of operations,' Loss said. 'Cutting the signal in mining areas, especially on Indigenous lands and in protected areas, is essential because internet access in these locations serves only criminal purposes.' Jair Schmitt, head of environmental protection for the agency, said what's also needed is tighter regulation on the sale and use of such equipment. The AP emailed James Gleeson, SpaceX's vice president of communications, with questions about the deal, but didn't immediately receive a response. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Future of the underground concourse weighs on biz owners' minds
Amid the fanfare surrounding the reopening of Portage Avenue and Main Street to pedestrians, questions remain about the future of the underground concourse and the businesses in it. The Portage and Main Circus has many shops and restaurants and is connected to a larger underground network downtown. The concourse has a leaky membrane that no longer protects it from above ground moisture. The cost of repairing it is estimated at $73 million, said Mayor Scott Gillingham. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Haley Yurman, brand and marketing leader for Empty Cup, holds up a sign reminding people that the business still exists in the Circus. Speaking to reporters after opening the street-level crossing, he stressed a decision has not yet been made over whether the circus will remain open or be fully or partially closed. City officials are awaiting for engineering reports and consultations with business owners, he said. 'The underground concourse will not close anytime soon. We are still doing some work related to that,' Gillingham said. The mayor said reintroducing pedestrian traffic to the intersection will not have a negative impact on the businesses below ground. 'There's still winter months coming… I believe that people will still frequent businesses below grade.' Kate Fenske, CEO of Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, echoed that sentiment. 'They have their long-term customers, and (the underground) is still a critical piece of infrastructure that allows connectivity,' She said. 'We've actually heard from workers and property owners, the businesses there, that it is so important it stays open… and I think there are going to be options to look at that.' Haley Yurman, brand and marketing leader at Empty Cup, said she's not concerned. The Winnipeg-based coffee shop has a location in the underground concourse. 'It's good for business to have more people out and about downtown,' she said. Yurman and her colleagues joined a crowd celebrating the reopening of the intersection. They carried signs that read 'Still brewing one level down' in large, capital letters. Harveer Chahal and Murtaza Mehdi were among the customers who stopped by the coffee shop as the crowd gathered above. Both men work in a high-rise linked to the underground circus and shop at the stores multiple times a week. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Business owner Eric Chi said he expects little impact to his business because most of his customers come from the buildings and companies attached to the underground mall. 'We don't really go outside,' Chahal said. 'We get our food, coffee, A&W sometimes, or sushi. It's much safer here, I'd say, compared to outside.' Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. Business owner Eric Chi said he expects little impact to his business because most of his customers come from the buildings and companies attached to the underground mall. Chi has sold sushi and snacks from his store, Eshel Tree, in the underground for more than one year. He signed a five-year contract with the city, and was told at the time there was no immediate plan to close the concourse. Since then, rumours and speculation have been swirling among business owners in the underground concourse, as they await news on whether the city plans to keep it open or shut it for good, he said. 'Of course it's concerning, but I just want to know as soon as possible so that I can take my next step,' he said. 'Whichever decision (the city) makes, I support it. I'm not against the decision, my only hope is they decide something for the better, for the community,' he said. Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. 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.
