![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/60ea9e176ec78e9377df81943d1fadcf.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nWinnipeg and Calgary have more in common than many people think. For example, Winnipeg was the economic engine of the prairies early in the 20th century, while Calgary is the economic engine in the early 21st century. A recent visit to Winnipeg reminded me of just how similar the two cities are evolving today, despite the differences in the size of their economies and populations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Winnipeg\u2019s Hudson\u2019s Bay building is currently being converted into a mixed-used indigenous hub.<\/p>\n
Downtown Department Store Redevelopment<\/p>\n
The Hudson\u2019s Bay Co. department\u00a0 store dominated both downtowns for more than a hundred years, with Winnipeg\u2019s closing in 2020 and Calgary\u2019s in 2025. Winnipeg has started an ambitious transformation of it iconic HBC building into Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn (\u201cIt is Visible\u201d), a $310-million mixed-use indigenous hub led by the Southern Chiefs\u2019 Organization. Scheduled for completion in 2028, the project will feature more than 300 affordable housing units, a health centre, daycare, and a museum.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg\u2019s downtown store repurposing was made possible by the building being donated to the Southern Chiefs\u2019 Organization (SCO) in April 2022, as well as $150 million in government grants that made its redevelopment viable.<\/p>\n
Calgary\u2019s downtown HBC store was recently sold to a developer who is experienced in office to residential conversions. The conversion of the HBC building into residential will be difficult with its huge floorplate, but a mixed-use development with perhaps some retail, some residential and maybe a hotel could work.<\/p>\n
Eaton\u2019s, Winnipeg\u2019s other huge downtown department store closed in 1999 and was demolished in 2003 to make room for a new sports and entertainment district with an arena, expanded convention centre, office and retail development, like what is happening at Stampede Park.<\/p>\n
Downtown Indoor Malls<\/p>\n
Like all downtowns across North America, both cities created huge indoor malls in the 1970s and \u201980s to compete with suburban malls. However, most of these malls struggled and many have been repurposed.<\/p>\n
Calgary\u2019s original Eaton\u2019s store opened in 1929 and was demolished in 1988 to make way for Eaton\u2019s Centre. Its Tyndall stone facade was saved and incorporated into the new retail complex that linked the HBC department store to a new Eaton\u2019s store. Today we know this retail complex as The Core Shopping Centre, which underwent a mega $200 million renovation in 2011 that included a 2.5 block long skylight (largest point-supported structural glass skylight in the world) to create one continuous indoor shopping experience, with a new food hall and renovated public garden occupying the fourth floor.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg\u2019s Portage Place, linked to both the Hudson\u2019s Bay and Eaton\u2019s stores by sky bridges, struggled since it opened in 1987 and today is being converted into more mixed-use structure. The $650-million redevelopment of Winnipeg\u2019s Portage Place by True North Real Estate Development features a 12-storey Healthcare Centre of Excellence, a 15-story residential tower with affordable housing, retail and green spaces.<\/p>\n
However, Calgary\u2019s downtown The Core Shopping Centre has been more successful, ranked Number 29 in Canadian shopping centres for sales per square foot, but far behind Calgary two top centres, CF Chinook Centre (ranked Number 5) and CF Market Mall (ranked Number 13).<\/p>\n
Calgary\u2019s downtown retail benefits from its huge corporate office population (120,000) and its greater downtown residential population of more than 60,000. Both numbers are three times Winnipeg\u2019s.<\/p>\n
The Forks vs. East Village<\/p>\n
Winnipeg\u2019s The Forks and Calgary\u2019s East Village have lots in common. Both are at the confluence of two rivers, both were once railway yards and both are currently being redeveloped east of their respective downtown core. And pre-European settlement, both were meeting places for indigenous people.<\/p>\n
The Forks redevelopment began in 1987 with the creation of the Forks Renewal Corp. (a partnership of three levels of government), with the first project being the rehabilitation of a former stable buildings to the Forks Market, a mix of shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs. This was followed by the creation of a dock area, riverwalk, Johnston Terminal (retail, office), Children\u2019s Museum, Esplanade Riel (pedestrian bridge), Inn at the Forks, Baseball Park and Human Rights museum.<\/p>\n
However, only recently has The Forks begun to add residential development to the site with Railside, a 10-building (four to six storeys) development.<\/p>\n
Calgary\u2019s East Village transformation didn\u2019t begin until 30 years later with the formation of the Calgary Municipal Land Corp. (CMLC is a fully owned subsidiary of the city) and the province\u2019s approval of the Community Revitalization levy.<\/p>\n
First, CMLC had to undertake a major upgrade of the Village\u2019s infrastructure and flood mitigation, including raising the land by five feet to bring the 40-acre site above the 100-year flood level.<\/p>\n
New developments happened quickly after that \u2014 4th Street underpass (2011), Jack and Jean Leslie River Walk (2012), George C. King pedestrian bridge (2014), St. Patrick\u2019s Island redevelopment (2015), National Music Centre (2016) and Central Library (2018). In addition, a Hilton Hotel (320 rooms) opened in 2016 and Alt Hotel (155 rooms) in 2018. All were designed to make the Village a more attractive place to live.<\/p>\n
In 2015, the first residential towers open and today there are a dozen high-rise residential buildings, creating 1,700 new homes, with the tallest being the Arris, a 41-storey tower (part of two tower development above a retail complex at street level that includes a Real Canadian Superstore).<\/p>\n
Currently five new residential developments (750 new homes), another hotel and another underpass to link East Village with Stampede Park are underway.<\/p>\n
Calgary\u2019s East Village has become an urban village, while The Forks is a recreational gathering place and tourist attraction.<\/p>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/af7b25c1d68976b85543e161c6b2e5b2.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Southwood Circle at the University of Manitoba is Winnipeg\u2019s equivalent of Calgary\u2019s University District.<\/p>\n
University Villages<\/p>\n
Both cities are currently actively redeveloping vacant university land into urban villages. In Winnipeg\u2019s case, the redevelopment involves transforming the Southwood Golf Course into UniverCity, a mixed-use urban village next to the University of Manitoba campus in the suburban community of St. Vital.<\/p>\n
Phase 1, which is underway, includes 3,500 homes in mid- to high-rise building and 120,000 sq. ft. of commercial space to become the core of the village. The plan includes the preservation of 5,000 old-growth trees and 21 acres of parkland. It will also include the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation opening in 2029. The entire project is expected to take 20 to 30 years and be home to about 20,000 people.<\/p>\n
The University of Calgary began the creation of University District in 2011 with the establishment of the West Campus Development Corp. by the University of Calgary and city council approval of the redevelopment plan in 2014.<\/p>\n
The plan calls for the development of vacant lands between the university campus with the existing Alberta Children\u2019s Hospital and south to the mega Foothills Medical Centre. It will be anchored by a traditional main street with retail at street level and residential above and a huge underground parking lot beneath. Today the main street is four blocks long and includes a major grocery store, Cineplex and hotel, as well as shops, restaurants and cafes. It also has a three-acre Central Commons Park that is actively programmed, (winter skating rink and summer splash park), as well as 40 acres of interconnected green spaces.<\/p>\n
University District welcomed it first residents in 2019 and by the end of 2026 there will be more than 10 residential buildings (including a major seniors\u2019 aging-in-place facility), with 2,000 new homes supporting 3,500 residents.<\/p>\n
Like Winnipeg\u2019s UniverCity, Calgary\u2019s University District is a 25-plus year project and will ultimately be home for 15,000 people.<\/p>\n
Last Word<\/p>\n
Winnipeg is the gateway to the prairies from the east and Calgary is the gateway from west. Winnipeg thrived when the prairies were being settled from east to west and the Great Lakes and trains were the main mode of shipping route of goods. Calgary has become the prairies\u2019 major distribution centre because shipping became more diversified (train, truck and air) and Asia, United States and Mexico have become major trading partners.<\/p>\n
The rise of Calgary and the decline of Winnipeg is most evident in their population growth. Calgary\u2019s population had grown from 4,000 in 1900 to 1.6 million today, while Winnipeg\u2019s has grown from 42,000 to around 860,000. Calgary wasn\u2019t even in the Top 10 most populated Canadian cities in 1900. Today it is the fourth largest, while Winnipeg has dropped from a high of third to seventh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Winnipeg and Calgary have more in common than many people think. For example, Winnipeg was the economic engine…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":74789,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[51,30115,11011,4228,7137,27810,84],"class_list":["post-74788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-winnipeg","tag-calgary","tag-department-store","tag-east-village","tag-redevelopment","tag-residential-development","tag-the-forks","tag-winnipeg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74788\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}