Newly digitized photos provide glimpse of 1950 flood relief effort

This year marks 75 years since one of the worst floods in Winnipeg’s history

Girl Guides taking calls at Red Cross Flood Relief Headquarters in the Civic Auditorium during the 1950 flood.
Girl Guides taking calls at Red Cross Flood Relief Headquarters in the Civic Auditorium during the 1950 flood.

At the time, it was the largest evacuation in Canadian history. Around 100,000 Winnipeg residents were evacuated during the flood of 1950.

To mark 75 years since that devastating flood, the City of Winnipeg Archives has digitized nearly 200 photos. The images are a glimpse of the massive relief effort that took place when the Red River spilled its banks.

Some of the photos were from inside the Winnipeg Auditorium. It served as Red Cross’ temporary headquarters and evacuation centre. Others show people wading through flood water. One features supplies arriving from Britain.

The floor of the Civic Auditorium converted to a shelter for those evacuated during the 1950 flood, part of Red Cross Flood Relief Headquarters.
Designated beds for dike workers at Red Cross Flood Relief Headquarters in the Civic Auditorium during the 1950 flood.
Red Cross distributing beverages to dike workers during the 1950 flood.
A Red Cross worker feeds a cat in a flooded area of St. Vital during the 1950 flood.
Two men paddle a boat down a heavily flooded St. Mary's Road near River Road during the 1950 flood.
Relief workers attempt to remove a submerged fence caught in the propeller of a Muskrat amphibious vehicle during the 1950 flood.
Red Cross Control at Flood Relief Headquarters in the Civic Auditorium during the 1950 flood.
Workers use heavy machinery to build a dike near the subway on south Main Street, just north of the Norwood Bridge, during the 1950 flood.
A plane of flood relief supplies arrive from the United Kingdom, 2 June 1950.

“Given the flood's anniversary, it was important for us to make these records easily available,” said Jarad Buckwold, Digital Archivist with our Archives and Records Control Branch.

We've digitized the records to make them more accessible for people who may not be able to physically visit our archives.

The photos were taken by David Portigal. They are from a group of negatives the City of Winnipeg Archives had received.

They’ve been added to the Archives’ River City: Records of Flooding in Winnipeg digital exhibit in the Resources and Archival Research section. The exhibit looks at archival records of significant flood events in our city’s history.

If you’re interested in seeing more photos from the city’s past, our Winnipeg in Focus website is a great resource. It’s a searchable database of our archival collections.

Other City information

Was this information helpful?

How can we make this web page better?

Information collected will be used to improve our website. Do not use this form to submit a request for service or information because it will not be forwarded to departments for response. To submit a request for service or information, contact 311.

This form is not intended to collect personal information; however, any personal information you choose to include in your comments is collected by the City of Winnipeg under the authority of section 36(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for the purpose of improving our website and will not be used or disclosed for any other purposes, except as authorized by law. Contact the Corporate Access and Privacy Officer by mail (City Clerk’s Department, Susan A. Thompson Building, 510 Main Street, Winnipeg MB, R3B 1B9) or by telephone (311) if you have any questions about the collection of this information.