While the Great Depression plunged local business, manufacturing, wholesale trade and mail-order business into a steep decline, the city was still ripe with life and development. Here\u2019s a chronological look at 15 photos that showcase Winnipeg from the beginning of the Depression in 1929 until right before the Second World War in 1939.<\/p>\n
Canadian Bank of Commerce, 1929<\/h2>\n
Photo: <\/span><\/i>Archives of Manitoba<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n The Canadian Bank of Commerce was built in 1910 to showcase Winnipeg\u2019s financial dominance among prairie cities. The building is located on the corner of Smith and Portage Streets but has since been renamed to the Millennium Centre.<\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Winnipeg Archives<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Winnipeg Archives<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n These photos show men standing by cut and stacked cord wood by the Winnipeg Water District Railway. In the early years of the railway, wood was transported for resale to Winnipeg residents and in 1935 more than 35,000 cords of wood were stacked at the St. Boniface station yards.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Winnipeg Archives<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n The construction of the auditorium was a Depression unemployment relief project and was funded by civic, provincial and federal governments and cost approximately $1 million. The building was officially opened in October 1932.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Winnipeg Archives<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Winnipeg Archives<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n The market was on the west side of Main Street, north of Stella Avenue. Shown above is the front entrance to the market, the North End horse exchange, different types of cars and shoppers walking through stalls of fresh vegetables. <\/span><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Archives of Manitoba<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n The original church on this site was constructed out of logs in 1857 and replaced with a newer building in 1883. That building stood until 1929 when it was burned down in a fire. The church that still stands today was completed in 1937 and is the third church to be built on the site.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Winnipeg Archives<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Winnipeg Archives<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n These photos show workers changing eight-inch cast iron pipe with 10-inch transit pipe along Portage Avenue from Kennedy Street to Main Street.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Archives of Manitoba<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n The Stevenson Aerodome was named after Manitoba aviator and pioneer bush pilot Captain Fred J. Stevenson and opened in 1928. By 1938 there were four civil aviation hangars, three hard-surface runways and a radio range station where they had their first air traffic controller. In 1958 the Stevenson Aerodome had grown exponentially and was renamed Winnipeg International Airport. <\/span><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Archives of Manitoba<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n The construction for this Greek-Ukrainian Church took place from 1936 to 1938 in Dauphin, north of Winnipeg. The rapid growth of these churches across Canada was due to mass immigration from Galicia and Bukovina, Ukraine to Canada following World War One. Roman Catholics in Canada thought the married priests of the Galician Greek Catholic churches would cause a scandal within the religious community in Canada. As for the Bukovina immigrants, they were Orthodox Church members, meaning they were to attend Russian Orthodox services, even though it was not conducted in their native tongue. In 1919 the Ukrainian-Greek Orthodox Church was created.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>James Tworow<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n King George VI and Queen Elizabeth\u2019s royal visit in 1939 lasted from May 17th to June 15th. It is estimated that 100,000 people gathered in Winnipeg on May 24th to see the royals arrive. <\/span><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Archives of Manitoba<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n The King and Queen on Main Street.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo: <\/span><\/i>Archives of Manitoba<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n Crowd gathering at Polo Park.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Number](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Number-16.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWinnipeg Water District Railway, 1930<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nConstruction for Winnipeg Auditorium, 1931<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nNorth End Farmers\u2019 Market, 1931<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nSaint Norbert\u2019s Church, 1937<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPortage Avenue pipe construction, 1938<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nNew Hangar at Stevenson\u2019s Field, <\/span>1938<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Greek-Ukrainian Church at Dauphin, 1938<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Royal Visit to Winnipeg, 1939<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nT. Eaton Company, 1939<\/h2>\n