The downtown exhibit showing Winnipeg’s response to two pandemics
A new interactive exhibit in Winnipeg’s Exchange District is exploring how our community responded to two global pandemics a century apart.
Virus: Making & Breaking the Pandemic opened Friday at the Millennium Centre, 389 Main Street.
Heritage Winnipeg created the exhibit. Executive Director Cindy Tugwell said they came up with the idea when they realized that most of the heritage buildings in the Exchange District had been standing during both the influenza pandemic of 1918, and the more recent COVID-19 pandemic.
“They were a constant, they’ll tell us about how our economy is doing and how we react to things,” said Tugwell. “These heritage buildings downtown have witnessed both pandemics over 100 years.”
The self-guided exhibit is free and open to the public daily from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. until Friday, Mar. 31. Tugwell said informational panels and interactive video displays show the differences and similarities between the two pandemics.
Lessons like wearing masks, “How to get the masses to wear the masks, you have to remember there were no vaccine back in 1918,” said Tugwell.
She added that, like COVID-19, there was also a lot of food insecurity during the influenza pandemic, “Many heritage buildings – schools, churches – became pivotal for food services for insecurity during that time,” she said.
As for some of the differences between the influenza and COVID-19 pandemics, Tugwell said media was a major one. “Back in 1918 you had the newspapers and telegrams to tell you what was going on, now in 2020 we had everything, from social media, internet theories,” she said. “It was difficult to understand what was really happening, what was real news, what was fake news.”
Tugwell said the exhibit shows how the health care systems of both eras were overwhelmed.
“A lot of these health care workers were stretched. A lot of these hospitals were stretched to the maximum, and we experienced that 100 years later. Tugwell said. “So, lessons learned could be lack of preparation.”
The exhibit is being held at the Millennium Centre, one of the buildings that experienced both pandemics. Tugwell said the choice was deliberate. “COVID was a horrible thing we had to go through, but we’re showcasing it in such a beautiful architecturally significant building,” she said.
We wanted to talk about COVID but be socially connected while we talk about it.”
More information on Virus: Making & Breaking the Pandemic can be found at the Heritage Winnipeg website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Minister 'outraged' after AFN national chief's headdress taken from Air Canada cabin
The federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is calling on Air Canada to 'make things right' with the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who said her headdress was removed from an airplane cabin during a flight this week.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.