OUR WINNIPEG

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This article was published 15/08/2010 (5723 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Upper Fort Garry Is a writer’s muse

For many Winnipeggers, the remains of Upper Fort Garry are probably easy to overlook. Some may see them every day during their commute to the office; others may pass by while on their way to The Forks. I don’t know how many people actually stop to read the information and gaze at what’s left of the fort, but I doubt many do with wholehearted interest.

Upper Fort Garry is an important part of our city’s past, and I feel that it deserves to be explored and cherished.

This summer, I embarked on a journey that has proved to be both exciting and terrifying. As part of a school project, I wrote a draft of a book about the life of my great-aunt, and it takes place in Winnipeg between 1918 and 1986.

I have spent the summer running around downtown, visiting anywhere and everywhere that my aunt may have wandered during her life. Strangely, however, I’ve always ended up back at Upper Fort Garry.

Initially, this was because I needed to take pictures of Union Station, Main Street, and Broadway so I could describe them in my book. After taking the necessary photos, I would retire to a bench in the park surrounding the remains of the fort. I would sit and write down what I had accomplished that day, and gradually, I began to write parts of the book there as well.

Then, one day, I realized that Upper Fort Garry provided me with both an inspiration and an energy that assisted with my writing. Sitting near a relic that was almost 200 years old made it easy to conjure up images of what Winnipeg looked like in the past. If I stood up, I could see Union Station and the traffic on Main Street. If I lifted my head, the turrets of the Fort Garry Hotel were clearly visible overhead.

Upper Fort Garry became my muse. It is such a special place, with such a long and significant history, and I felt drawn to it in some way.

I’ll continue to visit Upper Fort Garry, especially after the Friends of Upper Fort Garry complete the scheduled revitalization and renovations. I encourage other Winnipeggers to do the same. One never knows when and where inspiration can be found.

— Amanda Hope

Do you have a favourite place in the city. Email your story to dave.connors@freepress.mb.ca