Latest news with #ManitobaHistoricalSociety
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Mount Royal Hotel, closed since 2022, now for sale
The Mount Royal Hotel in Winnipeg is seen on July 17, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) A vacant and derelict hotel in Winnipeg's South Point Douglas neighbourhood is now for sale. The Mount Royal Hotel is currently being listed for sale for $1.1 million. The hotel on Higgins Avenue near Main Street closed in 2022 after the Manitoba government determined the building was a hazard. According to the Manitoba Historical Society, the hotel first opened in 1904. During the 1950s and 1960s, it was a popular meeting spot for the city's lesbian community. The listing, which went online Tuesday, says the hotel has 38 rooms and has the potential to be converted into a rooming house or an affordable living centre. 'The large central bar and restaurant area could be developed into kitchen, training, treatment, common area or more rooms,' the listing reads.
Winnipeg Free Press
17-07-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Historical society announces Top 10 endangered buildings
The Manitoba Historical Society is getting the word out about some of the province's most threatened historic buildings before they fall further into neglect. The society released its annual Top‑10 Endangered Structures list on Wednesday, a selection of provincial sites plagued by vacancy, decay or redevelopment pressures. Gail Perry, chair of the society's historic preservation committee, said the main goal of releasing the list is to educate Manitobans about the under-maintained buildings that are historically important. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS The Peck building at 33 Princess Street in Winnipeg is on the Manitoba Historical Society's annual list of the Top 10 endangered structures in Manitoba for 2025. The buildings are considered historically significant landmarks that face uncertain futures due to neglect, development pressures, or lack of awareness. 'An engaged community is always a better community,' said Perry. 'If people become aware and learn more about these structures, perhaps they will want to help preserve them so others can enjoy the stories that these structures tell.' Each structure in this year's edition represents a different building type that displays a different aspect of Manitoba architecture, Perry said, adding they tell stories about Manitoba's past, present, and future. The Peck Building, a six‑storey landmark on Princess Street in the Exchange District has been empty for years. Perry noted that is often the clearest sign a building's future is uncertain or in danger, as unoccupied structures miss out on day‑to‑day upkeep and become more susceptible to fire, trespassing, or simply being forgotten. Built in 1893 by architect Charles Wheeler, the Peck's first four floors exhibit Romanesque styling, complete with rounded arches, richly detailed brickwork, and decorative carved faces. Fourteen years later, John D. Atchison added two more storeys using similar materials and window alignment. St. Peter Dynevor Anglican Rectory, at 1147 Breezy Point Rd., in the RM of St. Andrews is listed as the No. 1 endangered building. Also included on the list are the Canadian National Railway turntable in Dauphin and the town hall in Hartney, southwest of Brandon. Bruce Evans, reeve of the RM of Grassland, where Hartney is located, said he is not surprised the town hall is featured. 'It's in a pretty bad state right now,' said Evans. 'The roof is suspect, and the other thing is that it was deemed to have asbestos in it.' Evans said the building hasn't been in use for several years and that there's been some chatter in the community about revamping it, but it's such a significant project that the municipality doesn't have the money for it. Last year, the society included Holy Trinity Anglican Church on Smith Street in downtown Winnipeg on the endangered list. It may have contributed to the decision by CentreVenture Development Corp. to invest in a feasibility study to revamp the iconic building. The church was built in 1883-84 without a foundation, a common practice at the time. It will cost in excess of $7 million to repair it. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. Perry said none of the buildings on this year's list faces immediate threat, but their long‑term survival depends on public attention today. She encouraged all Manitobans to pay more attention to the architecture around them and reach out to elected officials, heritage groups or simply spark conversations within their communities if they notice a potentially endangered building. 'Don't be afraid to stop and look around, and you'll appreciate what's there, because if you look a little bit closer, you'll see things that you didn't quite notice,' she said. The Winnipeg Architecture Foundation offers tours of the city's popular landmarks and structures, which are free of charge. More details on this year's Top‑10 list are available on the society's website.
CTV News
17-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Protecting endangered structures in Manitoba
Winnipeg Watch The Manitoba Historical Society has released its 2025 list of most endangered structures in the province. Daniel Halmarson reports.
Winnipeg Free Press
11-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba Historical Society app puts past at fingertips
Curious about a historic building in Manitoba? There's now an app for that. The Manitoba Historical Society launched its free MHS InSite app on Friday. It details info on more than 10,000 sites across the province; 2,687 of those locations are in Winnipeg. Available for Android and iPhone devices, it has an interactive map that shows which sites are close to a user's location, directions to them and a search function to discover more info on a building or monument. SUPPLIED The Manitoba Historical Society's free MHS InSite app details info on more than 10,000 sites across the province. 'It's a really intriguing way to see what's around you, what you may not have been aware of and then to really dig deeper into the context and history of a site,' said Tracey Turner, executive director for the Manitoba Historical Society. 'It's a groundbreaking innovation for us to connect all of our historical knowledge stored on our database for everyday users to discover.' Turner said the app has been in development for nearly two years and relied on a provincial grant of less the $10,000. Kyle Tichon of Tichon Technologies approached the society with the concept and then continued developing it after funding was secured, she added. The society's decades-old database of research has never before been accessible in 'the palm of your hand.' Turner said she hopes the new app will show people how many historical sites they pass by without knowing the story behind them. It will also improve the info available for tourists when navigating and choosing which sites to see, she said. The app's launch coincides with the kickoff of Historic Places Days, a week-long celebration of historic sites across Canada hosted by the National Trust for Canada. The charity funds and protects heritage locations. Christian Cassidy, local history buff and monthly columnist for the Free Press Community Review, applauded the new app. 'The days of printed walking tour books or driving guides are sadly behind us,' he said. 'If you want to bring this information to people, an app is the way to go,' SUPPLIED The Manitoba Historical Society's free MHS InSite app includes 2,687 locations in Winnipeg. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. Cassidy offers walking tours of historic sites in Winnipeg and said he's seen an uptick in people wanting to learn more about the city's history. Having even more information available is an important step to teach people about Manitoba's history and help preserve buildings, he added. 'So much of historical preservation comes after a building has burned down or after a demolition permit has been taken out, then suddenly everybody has all this interest in a building' If people are educated on a site's importance to a neighbourhood before it gets to the point where it might be destroyed, then it might alert others to fund and maintain the buildings, Cassidy said. 'You get beyond that 10 per cent history that always gets talked about and (in the app) you can really drill down into the history of buildings, people and places.'
CTV News
11-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
New app allows you to explore Manitoba's history
A person uses a cellphone in Ottawa on Monday, July 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Manitoba's history is now available at the push of a button. On Friday, the Manitoba Historical Society (MHS) announced the launch of 'MHS InSite'—a free, mobile app where Manitobans can learn about nearly 10,000 of the province's historical sites. MHS InSite includes an interactive map that allows users to locate historic locations, including buildings, cemeteries, monuments, and museums, along with accessing information from MHS' archive. MHS InSite is now available in the App Store and Google Play.
