This year, Winnipeg celebrates 150 years as a city, though the land on which it stands has been important for millennia. The area we now call Winnipeg is Treaty 1 territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Nehiyawak, Anisininewuk, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and the Homeland of the Red River Metis. Before names or settlements, it was a vast wilderness—a place where rivers converged, wildlife thrived, and creeks flowed abundantly. Just as it is today, the land has been a meeting place and an important trade location, with the convergence of rivers that connect to the broader Mississippi Watershed and, therefore, most of the continent. As we reflect on the past, we seek to honour the deep history of the land and the stories that have shaped the city we know today.
When Winnipeg became a city, a robust network of rivers and creeks crisscrossed the area, now buried beneath the urban landscape. At one time, the land now enclosed by the Perimeter Highway was home to 16 significant streams and 20 smaller creeks or coulees that would flow during heavy rains or spring thaw. Some waterways wound through the Exchange District, serving vital roles in windmill operations and transportation. Archaeological research from the 1980s and 1990s shows no evidence of permanent structures built until recently, as Winnipeg is also situated on a flood plain. However, as Winnipeg rapidly expanded into one of North America’s fastest-growing cities in the early 1900s, many streams were drained and filled to make way for sewer systems, roads, and buildings. Only nine of those 36 waterways remain, many significantly shortened due to human intervention.
While these waterways may no longer flow on the surface, their presence lingers in memory and the land. Brown’s Creek, once one of the many streams that traversed Winnipeg, ran north of the Artspace building along what is now Williams Avenue, winding its way to the foot of Bannatyne Avenue and Waterfront Drive before draining into the Red River. Though buried, its groundwater still flows, meeting the Red River through a storm sewer in Stephen Juba Park. Today, a plaque featuring a carved stone lion’s head on John Hirsch Place marks the creek’s former path, along with light fixtures that cast a rippling water effect onto the brick pathway. Artists, too, have worked to honour these hidden waterways — like Kelsey Braun’s piece for Lights on the Exchange titled …from within…, which aims “to conjure the ghosts of these waterways, anticipate their future renewal, long after human attempts to transform the land.”
The streets that now cover buried waterways like Brown’s Creek carry their own histories. As the city expanded, these roads helped shape Winnipeg’s growth while also paying tribute to figures who played vital roles in the city’s early days. Two such names, Bannatyne and McDermot, are etched into the very fabric of the Exchange District, where their contributions continue to be recognized.
In 1876, city officials named Bannatyne Avenue after Andrew Graham Ballenden Bannatyne, a prominent businessman and politician in 19th-century Winnipeg. The Bannatyne family owned a ribbon farm along the stretch of land that’s now Bannatyne Avenue, making it a fitting tribute to his legacy. Andrew established himself as a successful independent fur trader and store owner. Bannatyne Ave is home to several historic buildings, including the Ashdown Hardware Building, which now houses popular local spots like Bodegoes, Amsterdam Tea Room, and Across the Board Games Café. The JH Ashdown Hardware Company Warehouse, built in 1895, is another defining feature of the street. Spanning almost an entire city block, it’s the largest warehouse in the Exchange District. Once home to hardware supplies and other warehouse merchandise, it’s now occupied by businesses like Ashdown Market and residential spaces.
McDermot Avenue received its current name in 1873 to honour Andrew McDermot, a key figure in Winnipeg’s early history. Andrew was an Irish immigrant descended from two noble Irish families who came to the region in 1812 as one of the Selkirk Settlers. He began working for the Hudson’s Bay Company, a post he left to become an independent fur trader. His influence extended beyond business, and in 1839, he was appointed to the Council of Assiniboia, which acted as the government of the Red River settlement. He married Sarah McNabb, a Metis woman from Norway house, and had 15-17 children with her. Andrew’s legacy lives on, with McDermot Avenue running through the heart of the Exchange District, home to many of Winnipeg’s historic warehouses.
Annie McDermot Bannatyne, one of Andrew McDermot’s many children, also played a pivotal role in shaping Winnipeg’s history. Born in 1832, Annie grew up as a well-educated and highly respected young woman; her family was the wealthiest in the settlement. She married Andrew Bannatyne, whom she had grown up with, and they raised ten children together. Annie became known for her fierce defence of the Métis community. In 1868, writer Charles Mair visited the settlement and spent time with prominent Métis families, including the Bannatyne’s. He then wrote a scathing letter insulting Métis people, and the Toronto Globe published it. When Annie read the letter, she was furious and found Charles Mair at her family’s store. In resistance and defiance, she publicly horse-whipped him, shouting, “This is how the women of Red River treat those who insult them.” This bold act is said to have inspired Louis Riel’s subsequent resistance during the Red River Rebellion and is even referenced in a poem he wrote. Today, artist Claire Johnston honours Annie’s legacy with her piece titled “Lii Faam Michif Mashkawishiwak pi Tipeemishowak,” (Metis women are strong, and they own themselves), which is proudly displayed at the corner of Main and Bannatyne.
The Exchange District is built on the history of the people and places that came before it. Underneath the cobblestone streets and heritage buildings are stories of a bygone era. As we reflect on the legacies of families like the Bannatyne’s and McDermot’s and remember the hidden waterways like Brown’s Creek, let us be inspired to seek out and celebrate these untold histories. By uncovering and honouring these narratives, we not only pay tribute to the past but also enrich our understanding of the present and future of Winnipeg.
Learn more about the history of the Exchange District and its compelling stories at our Historic Walking Tours.
Book Here: https://www.exchangedistrict.org/historic-walking-tours-2/