The concrete barriers at Portage and Main are coming down but before the jackhammers get revved up, we need to reframe the conversation about Winnipeg’s most famous intersection.
The pro-barricade view often cites longer commute times as a key factor, among others. But imagine sitting through a red light on your way home from work and watching so many people crossing the street. You could argue this is a sign of our downtown’s success. With so much foot traffic slowing down vehicles in the street, isn’t that a good problem? That means there are more people living, working, and shopping in our central business district.
That’s a good thing.
Besides, if the barricades and restriction of pedestrian traffic were so effective, why didn’t we follow that recipe at every major intersection in town, or at least the intersections with greater traffic volume than Portage & Main?
I’m not dismissing the real and pressing challenges of the issue. But we are approaching a crossroads at Portage and Main, and I believe we have an opportunity to take the right turn for the people who live, work, and play here.
In a year or two, thousands more people will live downtown than before the pandemic hit in 2020. That’s thanks to hundreds of apartments now available at 300 Main Street, the tallest building in our skyline. When fully up and running, the Railside at The Forks will see 2,000 residents living in the area, representing a 12 per cent increase in the current downtown population. And we can’t forget the collaboration between True North Real Estate Development and the Southern Chiefs’ Organization as they work toward the Portage Place redevelopment and Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn projects. Plus, so many smaller projects where developers are converting underused space into livable homes.
The pandemic has completely changed the conversation about downtown. Five years ago, many of us considered remote work a rarity reserved for something like staying home with your sick child. Today, it’s everywhere. The patterns of office workers have changed, and so has the nature of business, and our decisions about the future need to reflect this.
According to a new poll conducted by Probe Research, Winnipeggers are changing their views on opening Portage and Main, particularly since the 2018 plebiscite where two-thirds voted to keep the barricades. Those new views reflect the latest information on the astronomical costs required to maintain the status quo and the impact of five years of construction on the new Winnipeg Transit Master Plan.
Remember 25 years ago when proponents argued we should keep the Eaton’s building, clinging to a past that had long since passed? Imagine how our downtown would look and feel today if we had kept it. Instead, the Canada Life Centre has caused a colossal shift that has helped us get our NHL team back and become one of the busiest event centres in North America.
Going below grade, the concourse is part of a much larger system feeding into the skywalk. This piece is critical to connecting the owners and employees of the towers at Portage and Main with the rest of our downtown, and must be considered carefully. It’s imperative that the City engage directly with property and business owners on this because they’ve earned the right to have a strong voice in future planning.
But let’s give kudos where kudos are due. Mayor Scott Gillingham and the vast majority of our city council looked at the latest studies about Portage and Main barricades and made the right call. And let’s remember what our mayor said — it’s just an intersection. Our sixth-busiest one in town, at that.
As a Chamber, we have long supported making Portage and Main more pedestrian-friendly, accessible and inviting. The healthiest downtowns are people-centred and invite you to get out of your cars and experience them.
Let’s cross this road, together!
Loren Remillard is the president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce
