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The third instalment in Blanchard's popular history of early
Winnipeg, A Diminished Roar presents a city in the midst of
enormous change. Once the fastest growing city in Canada, by 1920
Winnipeg was losing its dominant position in western Canada. As the
decade began, Winnipeggers were reeling from the chaos of the Great
War and the Influenza Pandemic. But it was the divisions exposed by
the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike which left the deepest marks. As
Winnipeg wrestled with its changing fortunes, its citizens looked
for new ways to imagine the city's future and identity. Beginning
with the opening of the magnificent new provincial Legislature
Building in 1920, A Diminished Roar guides readers through this
decade of political and social turmoil. At City Hall, two very
different politicians dominated the scene. Winnipeg's first labour
mayor, S.J. Farmer pushed for more public services. His rival,
Ralph Webb, would act as the city's chief "booster" as mayor,
encouraging U.S. tourists with the promise of "snowballs and
highballs." Meanwhile, promoters tried to re-kindle the city's
spirits with plans for new public projects, such a grand boulevard
through the middle of the city, a new amusement park, and the start
of professional horse racing. In the midst of the Jazz Age,
Winnipeg's teenagers grappled with "problems of the heart" and
social groups like the Gyro Club organized masked balls for the
city's elite.
From pre-contact Indigenous trading through 1939, Thinking Big
examines the history of businesses, business leaders, and
organisations in Winnipeg. Discover how the Winnipeg business
community dealt with challenges such as the Great Depression and
the post-World War I depression, and organised itself to take
advantage of periods of growth and prosperity.
The third instalment in Jim Blanchard's popular history of early
Winnipeg, A Diminished Roar presents a city in the midst of
enormous change. Once the fastest growing city in Canada, by 1920
Winnipeg was losing its dominant position in western Canada. As the
decade began, Winnipeggers were reeling from the chaos of the Great
War and the influenza pandemic. But it was the divisions exposed by
the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike which left the deepest marks. As
Winnipeg wrestled with its changing fortunes, its citizens looked
for new ways to imagine the city's future and identity. Beginning
with the opening of the magnificent new provincial legislature
building in 1920, A Diminished Roar guides readers through this
decade of political and social turmoil. At City Hall, two very
different politicians dominated the scene. Winnipeg's first Labour
mayor, S.J. Farmer, pushed for more public services. His rival,
Ralph Webb, would act as the city's chief 'booster' as mayor,
encouraging U.S. tourists with the promise of 'snowballs and
highballs.' Meanwhile, promoters tried to rekindle the city's
spirits with plans for new public projects, such as a grand
boulevard through the middle of the city, a new amusement park, and
the start of professional horse racing. In the midst of the Jazz
Age, Winnipeg's teenagers grappled with 'problems of the heart,'
and social groups like the Gyro Club organized masked balls for the
city's elite.
From the local bestselling author of Winnipeg 1912 comes the
riveting next chapter in the city's history. Winnipeg's Great War
picks up in 1914, just as the city is regrouping after a brief
economic downturn. War comes unexpectedly, thoughts of recovery are
abandoned, and the city digs in for a hard-fought four years. Using
letters, diaries, and newspaper reports, Jim Blanchard brings us
into the homes and public offices of Winnipeg and its citizens to
illustrate the profound effect the war had on every aspect of the
city, from its politics and economy, to its men on the battlefield,
and its war-weary families fighting on the home front. We witness
the emergence of the city's social welfare services through the
work of women's volunteer organizations; the political scandals
that led to the fall of the Rodmond Roblin government; and the
clash between independent jitneys and the city's private transit
company. And we hear the conflicted emotions that echoed in the
city's streets, from anti-foreign sentiment and labour unrest, to
patriotic parades, and a spontaneous Victory Day celebration that
refused to end. Through these stories, Blanchard reveals how these
crucial years set the stage for the decades ahead, and how the
First World War transformed Winnipeg into the city it is today.
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