Link to:
Photos & Coordinates | Sources
This site at the northeast corner of the intersection of Portage Avenue and Carlton Street in Winnipeg was previously occupied by the Sharpe Block and Bettes Block. After these buildings were demolished in the early 1980s, the area was made into a public park named for the adjacent Air Canada Building at 355 Portage Avenue which, being set back from the street, created space that the company donated to the city.
Construction of the Air Canada Window Park (also known sometimes as Air Canada Park) was funded via the provincial Winnipeg Core Area Initiative ($400,000), Air Canada ($95,000), and City of Winnipeg ($42,000), with design work undertaken by the architectural firm of Stechesen Katz. It was opened officially on 7 June 1985 before a crowd of 500 attendees, including Air Canada General Manager Ralph Bouchard, Mayor Bill Norrie, and Labour Minister Al Mackling.
The park featured structural shards from other recently demolished local structures, incorporating them in the design, layout, and aesthetic of the grounds. The salvaged and recycled artifacts included two Tyndall limestone columns from the Northern Crown Bank Building (654 Portage at Maryland Street, built 1908, demolished 1983), decorative Tyndall limestone balustrades used for supporting raised floral beds, a decorative centrepiece at the middle of the park’s central fountain from Devon Court (demolished circa 1982), and a cast iron pillar designed by the Vulcan Iron Company from the McIntyre Block (demolished 1979) set upon a raised platform in the fountain pool. An array of pink-coloured ceramic tiles which were previously part of the park’s display were removed sometime before the mid-2010s.
In September 2024, demolition work began as part of a downtown revitalization plan (announced in 2022) that would see $2.5 million designated for a complete overhaul of the park. Subterranian excavation was done in the winter of 2024-2025 in prepartion for an anticipated reopening of the park in 2025. Destruction and removal of all the building shards preempted any resalvage efforts to move them elsewhere. The fate of the metal plaques previously fastened to the top the outer ring of the fountain pool is unknown.
Air Canada Window Park (March 2016)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Air Canada Window Park (March 2016)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Limestone column shards from the former Northern Crown Bank Building (March 2016)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Limestone column shards from the former Northern Crown Bank Building (March 2016)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Limestone balustrade shards from the former Devon Court (March 2016)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Limestone balustrade shards from the former Devon Court (March 2016)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Limestone balustrade shards from the former Devon Court
and iron pillar shard from the former McIntyre Block (March 2016)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Air Canada Window Park (May 2017)
Source: Nathan KramerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89323, W97.14575
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Bettes Block (289-295 Carlton Street / 353-355 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Sharpe Block (343-347 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Devon Court (376 Broadway, Winnipeg)
Manitoba Business: Stechesen Frederickson Katz
“Core things pink at park opening,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 June 1985, page 3.
“Park’s message: ‘Keep moving’,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 June 1985, page 22.
“Downtown’s Window Park draws criticism from artists,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 June 1985, page 22.
“A place for people on Portage,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 December 1985, page 6.
“Demolition, reconstruction of Air Canada Window Park to start soon,” CBC, 8 August 2024.
“New name for Air Canada park cleared for takeoff,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 August 2024.
“Historical artifacts removed from downtown Winnipeg park,” CTV News, 25 September 2024.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 25 March 2025
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
