The city of Winnipeg unveiled a new monument to a harrowing but important event from the city’s past in the East Exchange District today.

The monument – located on the corner of Market Ave. and Lily St. – was created by Monteyne Architecture and was selected out of a number of submissions from a juried competition.

“We are trying to tell a Winnipeg story,” said Tom Monteyne of Monteyne Architecture. “We wanted to create a meeting place for lunch or before going to the theatre and a space that reflects the fact that Winnipeg has evolved.”

“Almost 100 years later what was a pivotal location in the General Strike is now Winnipeg’s entertainment district.”

Tom Monteyne, Monteyne Architecture

The monument is made of weathered steel and will last at least 100 years, Monteyne said. He adds they built it out of that material to reflect old steel structures like the Louise Bridge and to honour Vulcan Ironworks in Point Douglas, which played a large role in the strike.

It also has modern elements such as LED lighting.

Coun. Mike Pagtakhan says the 1919 General Strike was not only a key moment in Winnipeg’s history, but is also set the tone for labour movements across the country.

He says the monument does a good job of honouring that past while looking to the future.  

“Our downtown is transforming,” Pagtakhan said. “It’s on a prominent corner and has a bench and stage area that would be good for events like Fringe Fest.”

The city’s Director of Planning, Property and Development John Kiernan says the monument is educational and fits within Winnipeg’s changing arts scene.

“As we change we also want to acknowledge our history, where we’ve come from and the struggles we still have today as a city,” Kiernan said. “It tells a uniquely Winnipeg story and its part of an ongoing story both for this district and our city.”

The price tag for the project was $500,000.