Winnipeg 
In celebration of its 150th anniversary, the City of Winnipeg has launched a commemorative merchandise collection designed by local artist Jordan Stranger.
Credit: Forks Trading Company
This collection, launched by Mayor Scott Gillingham and City Council members, includes t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, and mugs.
These items are available at The Forks Trading Company and online, with plans to expand the range as the year progresses.
Credit: City of Winnipeg
Those interested in the history of Winnipeg can visit the anniversary exhibit on the Millennium Library’s main floor, showcasing themes such as Indigenous histories, Winnipeg’s central location in Canada, its importance as a transportation and commercial hub, and the evolution of its municipal government. This exhibit, accessible during library hours until April 28, 2024, draws on resources from various archives including the City of Winnipeg Archives and the Manitoba Museum.
Winnipeg was incorporated as a city in 1873. The city is pictured two years after incorporation./Credit: City of Winnipeg
Winnipeg’s name, deriving from the Cree for “muddy water,” highlights its Indigenous roots. The area, originally a trade center for Indigenous peoples, saw its first European settlement with the founding of Fort Rouge in 1738. The settlement that became Winnipeg was founded by Selkirk settlers in 1812 and incorporated in 1873.
Winnipeg’s humble beginnings as a five-square-kilometre area, defined by natural and constructed boundaries, were drastically transformed by the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1886. This development spurred population growth, increasing the city’s population to 194,850 by 1924.
Winnipeg’s first City Hall /Credit: City of Winnipeg
The city also commemorated its first civic election held on January 19, 150 years ago, highlighting the restrictive voting and candidacy criteria of the era. Initially, only male property owners or renters meeting specific criteria could vote or run for office.
Over time, these restrictions were gradually lifted. Despite early prohibitions against Indigenous peoples and women participating in elections, progress was made.
Indigenous individuals gained the right to vote in federal elections by 1960, and women could vote in civic elections by 1887, with eligibility to hold office following in 1916. Jessie Kirk, the first woman elected to the City Council in 1920, marked a significant milestone in the city’s history of electoral inclusion.
