Former Hudson’s Bay store in Winnipeg to be given to Indigenous group

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WINNIPEG — One of many landmark shops previously run by the Hudson’s Bay Co. is about to bear a significant transformation within the identify of reconciliation with Indigenous folks.

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The corporate’s six-storey, 655,000-square-foot constructing in downtown Winnipeg is being given to the Southern Chiefs Group, which represents 34 First Nations communities in Manitoba.

The location shall be remodeled to incorporate nearly 300 inexpensive housing models, a museum, an artwork gallery and eating places.

There are additionally plans for a well being centre that can embrace each western and conventional medical practices.

The official announcement is predicted Friday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau readily available.

A supply with the Manitoba authorities, who requested anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to talk on the document, says the province will contribute $10 million to the initiative, with the federal authorities and Winnipeg metropolis corridor additionally pitching in.

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“At present will be one other step ahead to a brighter future, one which displays what our ancestors dreamed of,” Grand Chief Jerry Daniels of the Southern Chiefs Group mentioned in a press launch Thursday.

“This mission is an act of reconciliation and is our imaginative and prescient to revitalize the center of Winnipeg’s downtown, for the good thing about all.”

The Winnipeg retailer was closed in November 2020, and the municipal and provincial governments have been working to assist discover a new use for the positioning.

A significant hurdle for any new improvement is the truth that the constructing dates again nearly a century, has been granted heritage standing and desires main renovations.

The shop opened in 1926 because the Hudson’s Bay Co. was evolving past its fur-trading roots to turn out to be a retail large. It was one of many firm’s “unique six” flagship shops and its annual Christmas shows in home windows alongside Portage Ave. drew crowds for many years.

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Nevertheless it suffered as client habits shifted, and full sections of the shop have been closed off through the years as the shop scaled again.

Final 12 months, the Manitoba authorities introduced a $25-million belief fund to assist protect and improve the constructing. The federal government mentioned the cash might be used for quite a lot of functions together with preserving the facade, structural repairs, and historic shows.

HBC had been in discussions with quite a few organizations on the positioning’s potential future.

“HBC’s Fact and Reconciliation journey requires actions that reveal our dedication to shifting ahead along with Indigenous communities,” HBC Governor and Govt Chairman Richard Baker mentioned in a press release Thursday.

“We imagine SCO is the correct steward for this location, and might create a brand new group landmark that can assist advance reconciliation.”