It’s been more than four and a half decades, but an intersection known in popular myth as Canada’s coldest and windiest is finally reopening to pedestrian traffic.
The iconic corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street in Winnipeg opens to foot traffic Friday morning, after a long and tumultuous journey, with plenty of controversy, leading up to this point.
Portage and Main has played host to some key parts of the city’s history, from indelible moments during the deadly Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, to the Winnipeg Jets signing future Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk there in 1981.
Looking west on Portage Avenue prior to the opening of the Portage and Main underground pedestrian concourse on February 23, 1979. (Photo courtesy of the City of Winnipeg Archives.).
Photo courtesy of the City of Winnipeg Archives.”
The iconic intersection was initially closed to foot traffic in the late 1970s with the creation of the underground concourse linking four corner properties. A 40-year deal to permanently close Portage and Main to pedestrians came into effect around 1978.
The idea of potentially reopening the intersection has been a near-constant topic of conversation in Winnipeg ever since — coming to head when then-mayor Brian Bowman, who originally campaigned on reopening the famous intersection, issued a plebiscite on the matter as part of the 2018 civic election, coinciding with the expiration of the city’s 40-year pact.
That plebiscite led to a split among Winnipeggers — divided almost 65/35 — in favour of keeping the intersection vehicles-only, although later reports showed that the vast majority of the “no” voters were those whose commute took them through the intersection, but didn’t live in the immediate area. Those who lived nearby were overwhelmingly in support of pedestrian access.
Winnipeg mayor Scott Gillingham, who admitted to being in favour of keeping the intersection closed to pedestrians during the plebiscite — when he was a city councillor — announced in March of 2024 that he’d had a change of heart, after a city report about the costs of replacing the waterproof membrane that protects the underground pedestrian concourse.
Gillingham said in 2024 that much more information about the state of the intersection had become available in the years since the plebiscite, and suggested many Winnipeggers might have voted ‘yes’ on opening Portage and Main had they known more details at the time.
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Council voted “yes” to reopening the iconic intersection to pedestrians later that month, with the plan to coincide with the city’s overhauled transit system, which launches this Sunday.
Winnipeg launched additional pedestrian amenities earlier this week — starting the process to convert a stretch of downtown’s Graham Avenue, previously a busy transit route, into a pedestrian and cyclist-friendly ‘placemaking project’.
“Reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians is just one piece of a larger effort to make our downtown more connected, accessible, and welcoming,” Gillingham said Friday.
“Between this project, the Graham Avenue transformation, and the launch of the new transit network, it’s a big week for Winnipeg. We know there’s still a lot of work ahead, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
The city said changes to the intersection include the ability for pedestrians to cross in all four directions, with accessible pedestrian signals. The signals have adjusted timing to make things safe for vehicles and people on foot, as well as reconfigured traffic lanes to improve safety.
Vehicles can no longer turn right from Main Street onto Portage Avenue East, although Portage East remains accessible via William Stephenson Way, Westbrook Street and Lombard Avenue.
The city said the construction project, which took eight months, is expected to come in under the $21 million budget.
“Today is the culmination of a lot of hard work and great cooperation between the city project team, consulting engineers, and the contractors,” said Public Works chair Coun. Janice Lukes.
“The team from MD Steel worked tirelessly to deliver this project on time and on budget. When we meet those milestones – especially on such a high-profile project – it’s a testament to everyone involved and a cause for celebration.”
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