2024 marks the 150th Anniversary of the City of Winnipeg, and throughout this year the City of Winnipeg has been producing ways to celebrate 150 years since Winnipeg’s incorporation. 

One of the fantastic initiatives that has been recently unveiled is the Winnipeg 150 Archives Tour. From now until the year's end, the Archives tour will display historical panels and images about Winnipeg in different public places around the city. 

The Winnipeg 150 Archives Tour offers the public a chance to connect with our past and gain a deeper appreciation for the vibrant community we are today. It is an opportunity for everyone to visit the exhibit and learn more about our shared history. 

Sarah Ramsden is a Senior Archivist for the City of Winnipeg. She is extremely excited to share with Winnipeggers the rich history of the city. “We are really excited about taking this to the community...we have been looking well over a year now at ways that the archives can commemorate Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary. It’s a huge milestone!” 

The exhibit consists of materials from several different historical organizations and archives. The City of Winnipeg Archives, Winnipeg Public Library (Community Services), Manitoba Museum, Archives of Manitoba / Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, and other sources have all pooled their resources to create an exhivit that tells the story of Winnipeg in eight huge panels. 

“We have such a vibrant heritage community here in Winnipeg and we knew that there would not be an opportunity to tell every little detail about Winnipeg 150... what we decided to do was create this thematic overview of Winnipeg history...enough to pique people's interest and get images from the archives out there. But what we really hope is that people will explore Winnipeg's history further,” says Ramsden. 

The eight panels cover themes such as the Winnipeg 150 legacy project itself, including our shared stories and our shared future. Other panels cover topics such as Winnipeg as an indigenous city, a location and transportation hub, the evolution of municipal government including amalgamation, and arts and culture. The final panel of the exabit invites Winnipeggers to explore our history further with a series of QR codes that will take people to other historical and archival websites. 

Ramsden really wants people to connect with our shared history and be aware of the rich and diverse history Winnipeg has. “Winnipeg has been a meeting place for over 6000 years so there is an opportunity for connection...I really want people to walk away knowing about the other stories that can be shared and the stories that they themselves can share.” 

The Winnipeg 150 Archives Tour will be available to be seen until the end of the year. There are two versions of the exhibit. One will tour malls and the airport, and the other exhibit will tour public libraries. 

Click here to see a list of locations and dates when the exhibit can be seen. 

Knowing our past is an important part of looking ahead to the future. The archivists of Manitoba have done a remarkable job of creating an exhibit that is informative, engaging, and will hopefully encourage people to dig deeper into the opulent and interesting history of our city. 

;'pp'8