What follows is a brief overview of Winnipeg’s history. It is by no means complete. To learn more, we recommend exploring a wide range of sources, including oral histories, books, archives, museums, and more.
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| circa 1285 | Nine First Nations meet at The Forks to create a Peace Treaty covering much of the Plains. An estimated 4,000 people attend. |
| 1738 | Fur trading post of Fort Rouge is established. |
| 1790s | Chief Peguis of the Saulteaux leads his band from Sault Ste. Marie to Netley Creek, south of Lake Winnipeg. |
| 1812 | Lord Selkirk's settlers reach the banks of the Red River where Winnipeg now stands. |
| 1816 | June 19 - Battle of Seven Oaks, or the Victory at Frog Plain, takes place. |
| 1817 | July 18 - Treaty is signed between Lord Selkirk and five Anishinaabe and Ininew leaders, referred to in the treaty as "Chiefs and Warriors of the Chippeway or Saulteaux Nation, and the Killistine or Cree Nation", recognizing Indigenous land rights. |
| 1822 | Fort Garry (formerly Fort Gibraltar) is built. |
| 1869 | Attempt to transfer land from Hudson's Bay Company to the Dominion of Canada without Métis consultation is interrupted by the Red River Resistance. |
| 1869 | Provisional government is formed in the Red River Settlement under the leadership of Louis Riel. |
| 1870 | Thomas Scott is found guilty of treason by the provisional government and executed by firing squad. |
| 1870 | Military expedition from Eastern Canada led by Colonel Garnet Wolseley reaches Fort Garry. Louis Riel escapes to United States. |
| 1870 | Province of Manitoba is formed and becomes the fifth province in the Dominion of Canada. |
| 1871 | August 3 – After eight days of negotiation, Treaty No. 1 is signed at Lower Fort Garry between the Crown and seven Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and Ininew (Cree) First Nations: the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Sagkeeng Anicinabe Nation, Long Plain First Nation, Peguis First Nation, Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation, Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation, and Swan Lake First Nation. |
| 1873 | November 8 - Winnipeg is incorporated; four wards with three Aldermen (now known as Councillors) for each ward. |
| 1874 | January 5 - Winnipeg elects its first Mayor and Council. |
| 1874 | January 19, noon - First meeting of Winnipeg's City Council is held. |
| 1874 | February 9 - City Council instructs the City Clerk to "obtain a cupboard to contain the Corporation papers". The City's records are now preserved at the City of Winnipeg Archives. |
| 1875 | Cornerstone laying ceremony for the first City Hall takes place with a casket containing photos and documents placed inside. View 1875 cornerstone casket photos on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1875 | City limits are extended to Aberdeen Avenue between Main Street and McPhillips Street. |
| 1876 | The municipality of Kildonan and St. John's is incorporated. Learn more about RM of Kildonan records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1876 | First City Hall is completed. |
| 1878 | First railway service to Winnipeg from St. Paul, Minnesota arrives. |
| 1880 | The municipality of Kildonan and St. John's becomes the RM of Kildonan. Learn more about RM of Kildonan records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1880 | RM of Assiniboia is incorporated. Learn more about RM of Assiniboia records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1880 | RM of St. Boniface is incorporated. Learn more about City of St. Boniface records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1882 | Fort Rouge is taken into the City and its boundaries are extended north to Kitchener Avenue and lane north of Luxton Avenue; south to Wilkes Avenue, Waverley Street, and lane south of Parker Avenue; west to Keewatin Street, St. James Street, and west boundary of Parish of St. Boniface (86 feet west of what is now Kenaston Boulevard). |
| 1882 | Wards are reorganized into six numbered wards. |
| 1882 | First water supply in Winnipeg is drawn from the Assiniboine River. |
| 1882 | First street railway system is inaugurated (horse drawn cars). Learn more about Winnipeg Transit's history. |
| 1883 | A portion of the RM of St. Boniface is incorporated as the Town of St. Boniface; the remainder continues to operate as the RM of St. Boniface. Learn more about City of St. Boniface records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1884 | Council is reduced to two Alderman for each ward. |
| 1884 | July 19 - Cornerstone of second City Hall is laid by Mayor Alexander Logan, with a casket containing photos and documents placed inside. View 1884 cornerstone casket photos on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1884 | December 8 - The ballot system of voting for Municipal Elections in Winnipeg is inaugurated. |
| 1885 | November 16 - Dominion of Canada charges Louis Riel with treason and he is hanged in Regina. |
| 1886 | Second City Hall is completed. |
| 1886 | July 1 - First railway train over the Canadian Pacific Railway from Montreal to Vancouver arrives. |
| 1892 | First electric street cars appear. |
| 1893 | First meeting of the Winnipeg Public Parks Board takes place. Learn more about Parks Board records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1899 | City of Winnipeg purchases Water Works Company, supplying well water from 1900-1911. |
| 1902 | Brookside Cemetery is included in city limits. |
| 1903 | The RM of St. Boniface changes its name to the RM of St. Vital. Learn more about City of St. Vital records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1905 | Assiniboine Park is included in city limits. |
| 1906 | Elmwood is taken into City from RM of Kildonan and wards increased to seven. |
| 1907 | Lot 3, Parish of Kildonan, lying west of McGregor Street, is taken into the City. |
| 1908 | High Pressure Pumping Station and piping system is constructed. |
| 1908 | Redwood Bridge is built. |
| 1911 | Municipal Hydro-Electric Works at Pointe du Bois is completed and put in operation. |
| 1912 | April 16 - RM of Fort Garry is incorporated. Formerly part of RM of St. Vital. Learn more about RM of Fort Garry records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1912 | Town of Transcona is incorporated. Learn more about City of Transcona records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1912 | Elm Park Bridge is built. |
| 1913 | RM of Charleswood is incorporated. Learn more about RM of Charleswood records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1913 | Town of Tuxedo is incorporated. Learn more about Town of Tuxedo records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1913 | Lots 1 and 2, St. Charles, are added to the City, making up part of Ward One. |
| 1913 | City limits are extended west to Doncaster Street. |
| 1914 | RM of Kildonan is split into the RM of West Kildonan and the RM of East Kildonan. Learn more about City of West Kildonan records and City of East Kildonan records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1918 | Kildonan Park and Golf Course are included in city limits. |
| 1919 | April 5 - Greater Winnipeg Aqueduct is completed and water from Shoal Lake is piped into Winnipeg water mains. Learn more about the records of the aqueduct on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1919 | May 15 to June 26 - Winnipeg General Strike takes place. View 1919 Winnipeg General Strike photos on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1920 | March 27 – Legislation passes to reduce the number of wards of the City from seven to three, and increase the number of aldermen from 14 to 18. |
| 1920 | December 3 - First Civic Election is held under the Proportional Representation system. |
| 1921 | RM of St. James is incorporated. Learn more about City of St. James-Assiniboia records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1921 | Rural portion of West Kildonan separates and is incorporated as the RM of Old Kildonan. Learn more about RM of Old Kildonan records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1921 | Village of Brooklands is incorporated. Learn more about Town of Brooklands records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1925 | Rural portion of East Kildonan separates and is incorporated as the RM of North Kildonan. Learn more about RM of North Kildonan records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1931 | September 1 - Municipal Hydro-Electric Generating Station at Slave Falls officially opens. |
| 1937 | North Winnipeg Sewage Treatment Plant is completed. |
| 1938 | Winnipeg Charter is amended to provide for two-year term for Mayor. |
| 1939 | May 24 - Official visit of His Majesty King George VI and Princess Elizabeth. |
| 1942 | November 27 - First civic election with adult suffrage in effect. |
| 1950 | April-June - Winnipeg experiences its largest flood in 89 years, leading to large-scale evacuations and significant property damage. View flood records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1951 | October 16 - Official visit of Their Royal Highnesses the Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. |
| 1954 | City limits are extended west to centre line of Edgeland Boulevard. |
| 1955 | September 19 - Last street car line - Portage Avenue and Main Street – is discontinued and street cars are replaced with diesel buses. |
| 1956 | City of St. James is incorporated. Learn more about City of St. James-Assiniboia records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1957 | July 1 - East Kildonan is incorporated as a City. Learn more about City of East Kildonan records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1958 | November 3 - Council approves the sale of property located on Grant Avenue and Nathaniel Street to the Winnipeg School Division, forcing the displacement of the Métis community known as Rooster Town. |
| 1959 | July 24 and 25 - Visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. |
| 1960 | Town of Brooklands is incorporated. Learn more about Town of Brooklands records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1960 | March 26 - The Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg is incorporated. Learn more about Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1961 | April - Transcona and West Kildonan are incorporated as cities. Learn more about City of West Kildonan records and City of Transcona records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1962 | City limits are extended westerly to west limits of No. 6 and No. 7 Provincial Trunk Highways to include area of approximately 3,500 acres effective January 1, 1963. |
| 1964 | October 5 - Winnipeg’s new Civic Centre is officially opened. |
| 1965 | December 14 - St. Vital Bridge is officially opened. |
| 1966 | March 4 - Winnipeg is hit by one of the worst blizzards in Manitoba history. |
| 1966 | May 18 - Public Safety Building is officially opened. |
| 1967 | Fifth Pan American Games is held in Winnipeg. |
| 1968 | Red River Floodway is opened. |
| 1969 | The City of St. James merges with the RM of Assiniboia to become the City of St. James-Assiniboia. Learn more about City of St. James-Assiniboia records on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 1970 | The first Folklorama is held, featuring 21 different cultures. |
| 1971 | Royal assent is given to Bill 36, known as "The City of Winnipeg Act creating Unicity". |
| 1971 | October 6 - Election of first council of new unified City of Winnipeg. |
| 1972 | January 4 - Inaugural meeting of the first council of the new unified City of Winnipeg takes place. |
| 1972 | Deacon Reservoir is completed. |
| 1973 | June – Assiniboia Indian Residential School closes. Federally funded and operated by the Grey Nuns and Oblate Fathers, the school opened in 1958 and was part of the federal government’s educational system under the Indian Act. Visit the Assiniboia Residential School Legacy Group to learn more. |
| 1974 | The first Winnipeg Folk Festival takes place. |
| 1974 | September 16 - South Winnipeg Sewage Treatment Plant goes into operation. |
| 1977 | May 4 - Winnipeg Centennial Library officially opened. |
| 1977 | October 26 - Communities are reduced from 12 to six, and wards are reduced from 50 to 29. |
| 1978 | November 15 - Fort Garry Bridge officially opened. |
| 1982 | Replacement bridge at Portage Avenue and Sturgeon Creek officially opened. |
| 1984 | October 29 - Slaw Rebchuk Bridge officially opened. |
| 1987 | North Portage Development in downtown Winnipeg is opened, including shopping mall, pedestrian bridges over Portage Avenue, and apartments. A joint development by the Federal, Provincial and City Governments, and private enterprise. |
| 1988 | July 28 - The Forks Development sod turning ceremony takes place. |
| 1989 | Council creates the Access Advisory Committee to enhance accessibility for persons with disabilities. |
| 1989 | October 4 - The Forks Market is opened. |
| 1989 | October 18 - Keewatin Underpass is opened. |
| 1990 | July 6 to 14 - Western Canada Summer Games are held in Winnipeg. |
| 1990 | October 19 - Kildonan Bridge over the Red River is officially opened. |
| 1991 | November 1 - Official naming of the Chief Peguis Trail Roadway, which connects the Kildonan Bridge to Main Street and to Henderson Highway, takes place. |
| 1990 | November 8 - Pembina Highway overpass at Abinojii Mikanah and extension of Bishop Grandin Boulevard to Waverley Street are opened. |
| 1991 | May 8 - Council approves the naming of Route 17 as “Chief Peguis Trail”. |
| 1992 | May 9 - Headingley is incorporated as separate municipality. |
| 1992 | October 7 - Changes to the City of Winnipeg Act consolidate the City into 15 wards and five community areas. |
| 1992 | October 28 - Susan A. Thompson becomes the first woman to be elected as Mayor of Winnipeg. |
| 1992 | November 3 - Inaugural meeting of the reduced Council following the 1992 Civic Election takes place. |
| 1993 | November 8 – Mayor Susan Thompson proclaims November 8 as “Recognition and Remembrance Day for Aboriginal Veterans”. |
| 1994 | April 28 - Council passes City By-law No. 6402/94 for the provision of municipal services in both English and French. |
| 1995 | October 24 - Charleswood Bridge is opened. |
| 1995 | October 25 - Automatic voting is introduced. |
| 1997 | April - May - The "Flood of the Century" causes significant damage to the Red River Valley. |
| 1997 | October 29 - City of Winnipeg Act is amended, replacing the Board of Commissioners with a Chief Administrative Officer model and providing for a four-year term of office for Mayor and Councillors. |
| 1999 | June - CanWest Global Baseball Park officially opens. |
| 1999 | July 24 to August 8 - Winnipeg hosts the 13th Pan American Games. |
| 1999 | December 26, 1998 to January 5, 1999 - Winnipeg hosts the World Junior Hockey Championships. |
| 2000 | Winnipeg endorses the Maskwachees Declaration, committing to be a partner with the Indigenous community to reinforce traditional, cultural, and spiritual values while addressing issues related to poverty, unemployment, training, and education. |
| 2001 | City Council adopts "Plan Winnipeg 2020 Vision", requiring the City to promote self-reliant Indigenous communities. |
| 2002 | February 27 - Council approves the sale of Winnipeg Hydro to Manitoba Hydro. |
| 2002 | May 31 - Gay Pride flag is raised at City Hall for the first time. |
| 2002 | July 25 to August 4 - Winnipeg hosts the North American Indigenous Games. |
| 2002 | October 8 to 9 - Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth the II and the Duke of Edinburgh visit Winnipeg during her Golden Jubilee Anniversary celebrations and officially unveil the restored Golden Boy. |
| 2002 | December 11 - Council passes The Official Languages of Municipal Services By-law No. 8154/2002 for the provision of municipal services in both official languages. |
| 2002 | The Aboriginal Employee Group (AEG) is established to provide the City with information and leadership on Indigenous priorities and resources. |
| 2003 | January 1 - The new City of Winnipeg Charter comes into effect replacing the City of Winnipeg Act. |
| 2003 | April 5 to 13 - Winnipeg hosts the Ford World Curling Championships. |
| 2003 | Fall - The Provencher Twin Bridges are completed and the pedestrian walkway named “Esplanade Riel”. |
| 2003 | The First Steps: Municipal Aboriginal Pathways (MAP), City Council's foundational Indigenous policy, is adopted. |
| 2004 | November 16 – MTS Centre is opened. |
| 2005 | November 8 - Renovated Millennium Library is opened. |
| 2006 | October 25 - First civic election to make use of the "Automark" voting system for blind and visually-impaired voters takes place. |
| 2008 | City Council passes a motion to adopt the Indigenous Youth Strategy to give Indigenous youth positive opportunities in the community and civic system. |
| 2009 | January - The 311 Contact Centre, the City's first integrated call centre, is launched. |
| 2009 | December - Winnipeg's new state-of-the-art $300 million drinking water treatment plant begins delivering treated water to residents. |
| 2009 | The City of Winnipeg is gifted the name Oshki Annishinabe Nigaaniwak (Ojibway for Young Indigenous People Leading) for its Indigenous Youth Strategy. Learn more about the Indigenous Youth Strategy naming ceremony. |
| 2010 | June 16 to 19 - The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's first national event takes place at The Forks. |
| 2010 | July - the Governments of Canada, Manitoba, and Winnipeg sign a Memorandum of Collaboration to work together on actions to improve the socio-economic outcomes for Indigenous peoples in Winnipeg and the capacity of Indigenous organizations. |
| 2011 | October 30 - Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) officially welcomes travelers through the doors of the redeveloped James Armstrong Richardson International Airport. |
| 2011 | The Atlanta Thrashers hockey franchise move to Winnipeg and are renamed the Winnipeg Jets. |
| 2014 | September 20 - The Canadian Museum for Human Rights opens, the first national museum to be built outside of Ottawa. |
| 2015 | June 6 to July 5 - Winnipeg hosts the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup alongside five other Canadian cities. |
| 2016 | January 22 - Mayor Brian Bowman declares 2016 as the Year of Reconciliation. |
| 2017 | March 22 - Winnipeg's Indigenous Accord is adopted unanimously by City Council. |
| 2017 | July 19 - Council unanimously approves the renaming of the “North Centennial Recreation and Leisure Facility” to “Sergeant Tommy Prince Place” in recognition of the First Nations war hero. |
| 2017 | July 28 to August 13 - Winnipeg hosts the Canada Summer Games. |
| 2018 | November 14 - Council consolidates the Citizen Equity, Access Advisory, and Mayor's Age Friendly Seniors' Advisory Committee into a new Human Rights Committee of Council, to focus on human rights, diversity, equity, access, peace, and inclusion. |
| 2019 | Residents are encouraged to provide feedback on ways to address the absence of Indigenous perspectives and history in the City’s place names and markers, leading to the Welcoming Winnipeg: Reconciling our History Policy. |
| 2019 | May 21 - The contents of the time capsule that was placed in the cornerstone of the Public Safety Building are unveiled. Learn more about the contents of the Public Safety Building time capsule on Winnipeg in Focus. |
| 2019 | August 18 - Waverley Underpass opens to traffic. |
| 2019 | October 9 to 13 - Winnipeg is hit by a powerful snowstorm that left 50,000 residents without power and damaged ten percent of the City's public trees. |
| 2020 | April 3 - City Council declares a state of local emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2021 | Winnipeg is named the world's most intelligent community by the Intelligent Community Forum. |
| 2021 | March 21 to 27 - City of Winnipeg hosts its inaugural Anti-Racism Week to build awareness and help address racism within the city. |
| 2021 | July 22 - City Council declares 2022 the Year of the Garden. |
| 2021 | September 15 - Flags representing Treaty One Nation, Dakota Nations, and the Métis Nation are raised at City Hall for permanent display. |
| 2022 | The City of Winnipeg and Treaty One Nation sign the Gaawijijigemangit Agreement for municipal services at Naawi-Oodena site. |
| 2022 | September 20 – During a Special Meeting of Council, Inuit, Red River Métis, Treaty One, Cree, and Dakota Nation representatives gift to the City sacred and cultural items for permanent display in the Council Chamber. |
| 2023 | March 23 - Council votes unanimously to change the names, in principle, of Bishop Grandin Boulevard to Abinojii Mikanah, Bishop Grandin Trail to Awasisak Mēskanow, and Grandin Street to Taapweewin Way. |