This is the last night for the Winnipeg Hotel. The residences were emptied out as of September 30th and the bar will sling its last moderately cooled beer tonight.
"The Winnipeg" holds a unique place in the city's history. It started out as the Garry Saloon in 1873 and got its liquor licence on November 1st - exactly one week before the City of Winnipeg was incorporated!
Over the years, the building has been added to many times. First were hotel rooms to the back, then two stories above, then another extension to the rear. The name change came in 1881 after original owner Charles Wheeler brought in Thomas Montgomery as a business partner. The two made an extensive expansion of what was then the Garry Hotel and rechristened it the Winnipeg Hotel.
It was purchased by new owners back in 2016, along with the Fortune and MacDonald blocks, but allowed to continue to operate until the Fall of 2019.
It is unclear of the building can salvaged and what its new life will be. The owners won't know for sure until they can get in and start pulling away walls and floors.
An additional sad note is that there are now a few more low income people out of their homes and fighting for the declining number of remaining SRO hotel spaces and rooming house beds in the city.
It is unclear of the building can salvaged and what its new life will be. The owners won't know for sure until they can get in and start pulling away walls and floors.
An additional sad note is that there are now a few more low income people out of their homes and fighting for the declining number of remaining SRO hotel spaces and rooming house beds in the city.
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