Exploring Osborne Village history: tales from the tour guide
Hello! My name is Katherine. I am the summer tour guide for the Osborne Village Biz. I am running tours throughout the summer, giving you guys the inside scoop on the architecture, history and stories that make up Osborne Village. I have been researching a number of different topics over the course of the last month and I thought I would share a little of what I’ve learned!
Osborne Village is Truly a Community!
It may be a little hard to believe since Osborne Village has the highest population density in Winnipeg, with 7,000 people per square kilometer, because everyone knows everyone just like a small town; and they care! In the Winnipeg Free Press, there was an article written that talked about how the people of the Village was a community where people cared about the neighbouring shops instead of being in competition with them.
And from what I have witnessed, it is true.
I have seen shop owners check in on each other to make sure they are ok, clerks will give flowers to someone they know simply to make their day, and baristas have genuine conversations with the people who come into their cafe. Even in hard times like during the 1970’s when inflation hit the double digits or during the global pandemic, Osborne Village has worked and adapted through the hard times and have worked through them to better the community.
Osborne Village is Adaptable.
It is always interesting to take a walk through an area of a city and see how the times have changed based on the designs of the buildings that have been constructed. Osborne Village has such an interesting collection of different architectural styles ranging from Queen Anne Revival which was popular during the late 1890’s all the way to the modernist area with Brustalism and Googie during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Osborne Village has also managed to keep the buildings of its past alive, adapting them to their current needs. Many grand apartments from the past have been changed and subdivided to meet the need of the residents, allowing the Village to still keep its beginnings while still working to the future.
The Village also adapted a wide range of housing options in order to accommodate the shifting demographics of the Village. The Village been home to newcomers to the City of Winnipeg as well as political or affluent figures. Accommodations within the Village range from a $900/ month apartment all the way up to a $2 million condo on Wellington Crescent, providing a place for anyone and everyone!
Osborne Village is Unapologetically Itself.
If I was to describe Osborne Village in one word, it would be unique. People who call the Village home are makers, and creators, the eclectic, the “weirdos” and those who don’t fit into the box the world wants them to be in. You can wear what you want, be who you want to be. Everyone is welcome and everyone has a place in the Village.
During the 1990’s especially, the Village was seen as a safe place for those who did not fit in, with places like Die Machine, and Papa George’s giving them a place to go and be with like minded individuals. People who followed an alternative movement found their place in the Village.
It is a little gritty, a little punk rock, 100% Osborne Village.!
I could go on and on about all the little fun facts and stories that make up the Village but I'll leave those stories for the walking tours!
Interested in joining me for an upcoming walking tour? Please visit: Osborne Village Walking Tours sponsored by Paragon Living.