Winnipeg Transit has been moving people around the city for nearly 150 years. From horse- drawn streetcars to buses, the fleet has certainly evolved. As all those changes were happening, they were carefully documented and captured on film.
The Winnipeg Transit Photo Collection
The Winnipeg Transit Photo Collection features over 6,000 prints dating back as far as the 1880s. It also includes negatives and slides. Until recently, it was all stored in 26 binders.
“The pages were yellowing and it wasn’t the best storage,” said Gwen Friesen, archival intern with the City of Winnipeg Archives.
The images were passed down over the years as Transit authorities changed. Some changed hands up to six times before falling into the care of Winnipeg Transit.
“We’re so proud of our long history providing public transportation in Winnipeg,” said Greg Ewankiw, Director of Winnipeg Transit. “It’s always fascinating to revisit the different eras of our service. We’re glad this collection is being protected and shared.”
Preserving history
Friesen, along with staff from Winnipeg Transit, worked on describing, preserving, and digitizing the entire print collection. With thousands of photos, this was a massive undertaking and took much of last year. Every image was scanned, indexed, and captioned, with photographer information tracked down.
Many of the photos in this collection were taken by well-known Winnipeg photographers, including L.B. Foote, David Portigal, and Harold K. White.
“Winnipeg Transit had done most of the organizing in the 1980s, but we had to find where the earlier ones came from,” said Friesen, adding some photos were truly a mystery.
Capturing moments in time
The oldest images in the collection were taken in 1882. From horsecars to streetcars and electric-powered rail vehicles, the range of vehicles used through the years is vast.
“I really hope people get a deeper sense of the history the city has to offer in terms of Transit,” said Friesen.
They admit it is difficult to pick a favourite image in the collection. However, one showing the inside of the Main Carhouse building from the 1940s stands out. It was part of a Transit base on Assiniboine Avenue west of Main Street.
Friesen also enjoyed photos showing the people behind Transit.
“There are images of mechanics working in garages who were taking part in the company hockey or curling leagues,” they said. “Those photos give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the company culture.”
Explore the collection
Nearly 600 of the collection’s photos have now been made available on Winnipeg in Focus, the City Archive’s online database. While copyright restrictions prevent all of them from being posted online, the entire collection can be accessed by visiting the City of Winnipeg Archives and more images will be added to Winnipeg in Focus over time.
Working on preserving Transit’s history for future generations was the perfect project for Friesen.
“I love Transit,” they said. “That was something I knew about myself but not to this extent.”
Friesen can now identify the make and models of streetcars, trolley buses, and buses at a quick glance.
“I spent every day looking at every single photo in this print collection,” said Friesen. “I spent time with them, described them, did research on them. It was absolutely fascinating.”
Temporary exhibit at City Hall
A selection of photos from the Winnipeg Transit Photo Collection are now on display at City Hall.
The temporary exhibit explores Winnipeg Transit’s history. From its start in 1882 as the Winnipeg Street Railway company through to the new Primary Transit Network.
You can see the exhibit on the main floor of the Susan A. Thompson building at 510 Main Street. It can be viewed weekdays from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Our City, Our Podcast
Sarah Ramsden, Senior Archivist, shares more stories from the City of Winnipeg Archives on Our City, Our Podcast. This episode was released in January, 2025.