I was on CBC Radio the other morning to talk about the King's Hotel on Higgins Avenue, which has been sold.
Here's my interview: youtu.be/MyWW8DUbUQA?...
Here's my history of the building: winnipegdowntownplaces.blogspot.com/2026/02/114-...
Well, I didn't see that coming. The King's Hotel could live to see another day! I recently wrote about the history of the hotel, which has been vacant for a couple of years, here: winnipegdowntownplaces.blogspot.com/2026/02/114-...
If you enjoyed the news item about "The Flying Bandit" Ken Leishman, check out my updated blog post at West End Dumplings: westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2026/03/kenn...
CTV did a great in-depth story about the 60th anniversary of Ken Leishman's daring gold heist from the Winnipeg International Airport 60 years ago: www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/art...
My latest column in the Free Press Community Review: 75 years ago, Mayor Garnet Coulter cut the ribbon to open the first clubhouse of the Orioles Community Club (now Valour Community Centre – Orioles Site). www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communit...
The Marlborough Hotel, closed since Jan 2024, may become housing according to mayor. It went through this before, closed in 1915 & reopened after the war to great success. Let's hope history repeats.
My history of the Olympia / Marlborough Hotel: winnipegdowntownplaces.blogspot.com/2010/02/down...
I came across contractor Henri Soucisse during my King’s Hotel research. After some digging, I found that he worked on some of the West’s most important buildings in the 1880s. Here’s a look back at the life and buildings of Henri Soucisse: westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2026/03/a-bu...
I was at Tec Voc today. I've never been around it before, much less in it. A very cool looking building. There were kids around, so I couldn't take many photos. It celebrates 75 years this year.
A new project for Sherbrook St. in West Broadway. It will remove 4 houses, including the long-time home/medical office of Dr. Mary Ellen Douglass. A look at the project, Dr. Douglass, and Sherbrook's decades-long transformation into a major thoroughfare: westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2026/02/2026...
Something I have been curious about ever since the Manwin Hotel was demolished are the "ghost images" left on the south wall of the neighbouring Calder Block. Here's what I discovered: westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2026/02/the-...
The ca. 1903 King's Hotel on Higgins Avenue is up for sale for $1 million. It has been closed for over a year and looks worse for wear.
Here's a look back at the history of the King's Hotel before it is gone: winnipegdowntownplaces.blogspot.com
Rev. Joseph T. Hill was a southern U.S. preacher who spent many summers as a popular guest preacher at predominantly white churches in Winnipeg in the 1920s and 1940s. He is credited with founding Pilgrim Baptist, Winnipeg's first black church.
More:
westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2020/02/rev-...
A nearly century-long tradition of gas stations at Ellice & Arlington will resume when Bunty's opens its pumps.
The 1st station was 1928, there were 3 by the mid-60s, Husky, the last, was demo'd in 2024.
More about the corner's gas station history: westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2026/02/elli...
Nominations are open for the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Historical Preservation and Promotion. Do you know a worthy Manitoban? More info: manitobalg.ca/lieutenant-g...
Nominations are open for the MHS's Margaret McWilliams Awards. Do you know someone who wrote a book in 2025 in the categories of Scholarly History Book, Popular History Book or Local History Book? Nominate them now! Details: www.mhs.ca/awards/marga...
Look what's finally renting. The Bakery Lofts? I would have called it the Bread Box!
250burnell.com
That Market Lands building on the old Public Safety Building site is really coming along.
I noticed this the other day. Nice to see Atco trailers set up around the old Carnegie Library. Work must be underway on renovations so that the city archives can move back.
Remembering Portage Avenue's Chan's Café and Chan's Moon Room (1941 -1974)
westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2026/01/reme... #Winnipeg
CTV Winnipeg did a neat story about some of Winnipeg's "lonely houses" that still dot the landscape, telling the earliest urban history of some of our neighbourhoods. www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/art...
One of my favourite local historic figures is Percy Haynes. He is best remembered for Haynes Chicken Shack but was also a champ athlete, musician, and the first Black to serve in the Royal Canadian Navy.
More about his life and work:
westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2012/02/mani...
If you look hard, you can sort of see some letters under the yellow paint. Unfortunately, the graffiti artists will get to it, or the building will burn down, by the time it sees the light of day.
Hewburn Greenidge made MB history 3 times: in 1913 when he was the first Black student to enroll at the MB Medical College, in 1920 when he became the first Black graduate of any of the U of M's colleges, and became MB's first Black doctor!
Read more: westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2026/02/h-n-...
CTV Winnipeg aired a neat piece about "lonely houses" in Winnipeg and elsewhere. You can check out the video or written version at their website: www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/art...
2/2 Flowers and gifts for Valentine’s Day took off in the early 1900s. Note the “eastern craze” mention in the Rosary ad.
Dropping “Saint” was rare until around 1914 and by the mid-1940s, it was used about half and half. It was also very much about buying gifts.
1/2 1/2 Early Valentine’s Day items from local papers.
You can find St. Valentine's Day mentions right back to the 1870s. Early events were things like dress up parties or skating nights, often including children and youth, not so much geared at gifts, singles and matchmaking...
If you missed my Black History Month presentation, you can read it today! I’ve updated my Celebrating Manitoba Black History page. The two entries at the top, Hewburn Greenidge and Sarah and Norman Lewsey, are the people I presented on last night! westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2026/02/cele...
Thanks, Oly!
Join me tonight at 6pm for an online presentation about some of Winnipeg's early Black citizens and how they helped to build our city.
It starts at 6 pm, Thursday, February 12th. Register at bmbcc.ca/events/ to get the Zoom link. All are welcome!
