tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post6723036622443615767..comments2024-03-29T02:29:51.872-05:00Comments on West End Dumplings: Medway Court: Winnipeg's 'Fiery Holocaust'Christian Cassidyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17691310860448400887noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-59532673817456440022017-09-02T21:32:03.583-05:002017-09-02T21:32:03.583-05:00Thanks, all for your comments about this post. I w...Thanks, all for your comments about this post. I wrote it back in 2009 before the Tribune and some other sources were available online.<br /><br />I've gone back and added additional info and photos about the fire and some of the victims: http://westenddumplings.blogspot.ca/2009/08/winnipegs-fiery-holocaust.htmlChristian Cassidyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17691310860448400887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-87033588805375914072017-02-13T19:18:19.527-06:002017-02-13T19:18:19.527-06:00Fascinating story! I came across a mention of the...Fascinating story! I came across a mention of the Medway Court fire while working on my family's genealogy (Charles married my husband's father's cousin Jeanne Paquet) and wondered how Charles had survived unscathed, and to learn he was away... wonder what he carried with him for the rest of his life. Thank you for the story, and the forum for further information.Carol in SoCalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13802306820613284977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-90629598495554474792014-06-19T23:55:47.474-05:002014-06-19T23:55:47.474-05:00Thanks for the update Eurydice. I didn't go be...Thanks for the update Eurydice. I didn't go beyond 1929 because I was focusing on the fire.<br /><br />I did a quick run through of newspaper articles in the following years and the city and property owners squabbled over what to do about the charred remains. The owners wanted to rehab but the city stuck by its bylaw which said that any structure more than 40% damaged by fire had to be demolished.<br /><br />The reconstruction, incredibly, did not happen until 1937. The owners received permission to rebuild, but it had to be a brand new block with alterations to the design and, of course, up to the modern fire code, (Apr. 29, 1937 Tribune) and the Sept. 2, 1937 Free Press has a picture of the demolition in progress.<br /><br />Looking at the next couple of years, the name Medway Court does not appear again, (except in reference to the fire), so the new building must have had a new name.Christian Cassidyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17691310860448400887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-49572731837836630732014-06-19T22:40:44.425-05:002014-06-19T22:40:44.425-05:00Great article, though no follow-up story on the Me...Great article, though no follow-up story on the Medway Court itself is included. Vince Leah, who wrote a detailed account of the fire in his book "Pages From the Past", ended the write-up with simply, "The Medway Court was rebuilt."<br />It seems that it did indeed straggle on as a rental accommodation for about ten more years. <br />My attempt to ascertain when the Medway vanished uncovered something strange. The number of suites (post-1929) was drastically reduced from the pre-1929 numbers, suggesting that the building was partially demolished down to a stump of its former self, perhaps to just the basement and the first floor. It disappears from the Henderson Directory around 1939. "Bowl Arena", A bowling alley, replaced it by the early 1950s. This was itself destroyed by fire in 1966, after which the site became, and remains, a parking lot.Eurydicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03469038791378874755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-32993097234999573722012-09-01T10:21:08.004-05:002012-09-01T10:21:08.004-05:00Thanks Alice for filling in that information. It&#...Thanks Alice for filling in that information. It's great to get information about what happened to people after the fire which, of course, the newspapers don't really follow up on.Christian Cassidyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17691310860448400887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-55098155099268152202012-08-07T19:57:38.499-05:002012-08-07T19:57:38.499-05:00Thank you for your wonderful article.
Alfred Ap...Thank you for your wonderful article. <br /><br />Alfred Appleby was my maternal Grandfather, Irene Appleby was my Aunt and Edna Appleby was my maternal Grandmother. My Mother Alice Edna Appleby (daugher of Alfred and Edna Appleby)jumped from the family's third floor suite. She broke her back and was in hospital for 6 months. Her Mother had been completely deaf and her Father travelled with CP Rail so they always lived in apartments so the family would feel safer. Her brother Charles <br />(17) Appleby was away at a beach cottage for the long weekend.<br /><br />My Mom married my Dad, Neil Pope, on February 2nd, 1932. She had my sister Irene the end of 1932, my brother Neil in 1934, my sister Patricia in 1937 and I was born in 1950. She had 10 grandchildren and many greatgrandchildren. <br /><br />Even though she had lingering problems from the fire she was a very wonderful person and raised happy kids. Dad and Mum were married for 54 years. They lived in Winnipeg all their lives. Mum passed away in Winnipeg on April <br />20, 1985.<br /><br />She is buried in Chapel Lawn cemetary close by her family that was killed in the fire.<br /><br />Again, thank you for writing the article. I did not know about the Free Press personnel who helped.<br /><br />Alice Pope St. Onge<br />St. Albert, Alberta<br />Still a Winnipeger-at-Heart!Alice Pope St. Ongenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-76940257021545930532009-09-01T13:45:40.865-05:002009-09-01T13:45:40.865-05:00You're welcome ! It was interesting, and sad, ...You're welcome ! It was interesting, and sad, to do this one. I didn't know anything about it either until a couple of days ago.<br /><br />I did post an abbreviated version of this spot over the lunch hour on a tree near the spot.<br /><br />As for the WFP archives, for the past couple of days I have not had a problem so that's a good sign !Christian Cassidyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17691310860448400887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-73219417525868095922009-09-01T13:06:17.147-05:002009-09-01T13:06:17.147-05:00Horrifying incident, great writeup.
(Does this me...Horrifying incident, great writeup.<br /><br />(Does this mean you've resolved your issues with WFP archives? I've been holding off on subscribing because you mentioned having problems.)Chris Gumprichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07356161744000819692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-72297681977032402302009-09-01T11:08:25.277-05:002009-09-01T11:08:25.277-05:00This was a fascinating story. Thank you for tellin...This was a fascinating story. Thank you for telling us about this little aspect of Winnipeg's history I wouldn't have learned otherwise.Jamie Isfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01624670014313222935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-5920503030617618922009-09-01T08:08:43.517-05:002009-09-01T08:08:43.517-05:00thanks for the story.thanks for the story.Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05403150448269947523noreply@blogger.com