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Landmarks, Monuments & Built Heritage of the West
May 20, 2009
Landmarks, Monuments & Built Heritage of the West - May 20, 2009
Western Canadians, in particular, have been shaped by their landscapes and architecture. Landmarks and buildings can provide a stabilizing influence on ever-changing communities. They ground a community as it often develops around these structures. Also, there is often great historical significance surrounding landmarks and buildings. Their design often reflects the social and economic realities of the period in which they were designed and erected. From sod huts to towering skyscrapers, the built heritage of western Canadian communities has influenced the development of the region and the people.
The University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, along with its partners, the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg Archives, the Canadian Architectural Archives, and the Archives of Manitoba, have created a website devoted to western Canada s architectural history and the effects it has had on Canadian society. The 7000 textual documents, photographs, blueprints, films, and sound clips that comprise Landmarks, Monuments & Built Heritage of the West document this rich historical legacy. The digitized records trace the evolution of certain landmarks, detail the history surrounding many prominent architectural designs throughout western Canada, and explain their social, cultural, and/or environmental significance to Canadians.
Featured content on the site includes nearly 2000 photographs of buildings, landmarks, and monuments throughout western Canada by famed architect and photographer, Henry Kalen; several hand-drawn original blueprints and designs of Ukrainian Catholic churches by Father Philip Ruh; a film depicting the horrific fire that destroyed one of Father Ruh s churches in Mountain Road, Manitoba; photographs of Ukrainian Catholic churches and their intricate designs throughout western Canada; newspaper clippings and photographs from the Winnipeg Tribune documenting the city s turbulent relationship with its heritage buildings; extensive histories of United Grain Growers grain elevators in Manitoba and Saskatchewan; photographs of Ogilvie flour mills and related buildings in Winnipeg and across western Canada; articles and photographs by freelance journalist Kip Park, who wrote extensively on real estate and Manitoba s architectural history; plus over 100 architectural drawings of the beautiful and intricately designed Marine Building in Vancouver.
In addition, an educational site with targeted content for children in Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 4 explains the value of landmarks in Manitoba communities through mapping exercises and digitized photographs. Kindergarten and Grade 1 students are introduced to the concept of landmarks, learn about some of Manitoba s more prominent landmarks by examining archival photographs and reading descriptions, learn about the location of these landmarks through exercises using Google Maps, and see and hear the devastating effects that the destruction of a landmark can have on a community by watching a video of a church fire with accompanying audio of the after effects of the fire. Grade 4 students are encouraged to determine the historical, cultural or environmental significance of several Winnipeg landmarks through the presentation of archival documents describing these landmarks.
Come immerse yourself in the history of your surroundings by visiting the Landmarks, Monuments and Built Heritage of the West website at:
http://umanitoba.ca/libraries/archives/digital/built_heritage/
This project was made possible through the Canadian Culture Online Program of Canadian Heritage, Library and Archives Canada and the Canadian Council of Archives.
