Flying out of Yellowknife, NWT, was the last time I had visited Winnipeg, Manitoba. The year was 1974. It was to pick up a spank'n new, 810cc Dunstal-Norton-Combat motorcycle that I had purchased through the mail while working in the sub-Arctic. Winnipeg was a very old and drab looking place back then, full of these big red brick buildings stacked up and down the lengths Portage & Main. I drove that bike to Ontario and now, 36 years later and after that cycle had nearly killed me I'm back, but with a camera this time. To my surprise, most of downtown Winnipeg has since been torn down and rebuilt with brand new glass towers and spiffy shopping plazas .............. except for this enclave, a tiny little time capsule that escaped the wreckers ball. It's called the "Exchange District" and it's a lost gem from another age. One short stroll produced a plethora of classically old structures from a bygone era, much like they existed 100 years ago.
Cold Beer : Winnipeg, Manitoba
In 1974, I stayed here for a couple days while my new cycle (810cc/Dunstal/Norton) was being prepped for delivery. This was a flop house tavern back then. For $6 a night I got a single, steel sprung bed with clean sheets, a scratchy grey wool blanket, a sink, no shower, a tub that was down the hall, bolted to the middle of the shared "washroom" floor, c/w NO lock on the door.
Right up until the mid-70's, these hotels had two entrances and also for most of the taverns in Ontario. One door stated, for "MEN ONLY" on the draught side and a separate entrance on the kocktail(sp) side for "LADIES and ESCORTS". In the (my) day, females were not welcome (allowed) in the draught room and were often politely asked to leave if they ventured into the "mens" side of the draft beer room.
In 1974, I stayed here for a couple days while my new cycle (810cc/Dunstal/Norton) was being prepped for delivery. This was a flop house tavern back then. For $6 a night I got a single, steel sprung bed with clean sheets, a scratchy grey wool blanket, a sink, no shower, a tub that was down the hall, bolted to the middle of the shared "washroom" floor, c/w NO lock on the door.
Right up until the mid-70's, these hotels had two entrances and also for most of the taverns in Ontario. One door stated, for "MEN ONLY" on the draught side and a separate entrance on the kocktail(sp) side for "LADIES and ESCORTS". In the (my) day, females were not welcome (allowed) in the draught room and were often politely asked to leave if they ventured into the "mens" side of the draft beer room.
Cold Beer : Winnipeg, Manitoba
In 1974, I stayed here for a couple days while my new cycle (810cc/Dunstal/Norton) was being prepped for delivery. This was a flop house tavern back then. For $6 a night I got a single, steel sprung bed with clean sheets, a scratchy grey wool blanket, a sink, no shower, a tub that was down the hall, bolted to the middle of the shared "washroom" floor, c/w NO lock on the door.
Right up until the mid-70's, these hotels had two entrances and also for most of the taverns in Ontario. One door stated, for "MEN ONLY" on the draught side and a separate entrance on the kocktail(sp) side for "LADIES and ESCORTS". In the (my) day, females were not welcome (allowed) in the draught room and were often politely asked to leave if they ventured into the "mens" side of the draft beer room.
In 1974, I stayed here for a couple days while my new cycle (810cc/Dunstal/Norton) was being prepped for delivery. This was a flop house tavern back then. For $6 a night I got a single, steel sprung bed with clean sheets, a scratchy grey wool blanket, a sink, no shower, a tub that was down the hall, bolted to the middle of the shared "washroom" floor, c/w NO lock on the door.
Right up until the mid-70's, these hotels had two entrances and also for most of the taverns in Ontario. One door stated, for "MEN ONLY" on the draught side and a separate entrance on the kocktail(sp) side for "LADIES and ESCORTS". In the (my) day, females were not welcome (allowed) in the draught room and were often politely asked to leave if they ventured into the "mens" side of the draft beer room.