“A must-see for everyone in Manitoba”: Historic maps on display at the Archives of Manitoba

Hundreds of history buffs visited the Archives of Manitoba on Friday and Saturday for an open house featuring the organization's many historic maps.

“These records really belong to the people of Manitoba,” said Kathleen Epp, custodian of the Hudson's Bay Company archives. “We're looking for ways to open our doors so people can take it in without coming in with the intention of doing research.”

The exhibition included archival maps, some dating back to the 18th century. It aimed to show the development of the map of western North America and the Arctic in the 1700s and early 1800s.

“The oldest map we have is from 1709,” Epp said. “This is a map of the Hudson's Bay Company showing where the Hudson's Bay Company traded at the time.”

Epp said the maps help show people how the province has evolved over time, down to the bridges and neighborhoods Winnipeggers know today.

In honor of the City of Winnipeg's 150th anniversary, several maps of Winnipeg are on display, including one from 1911 depicting the Winnipeg Trolley Areas.

For some, the open house was an opportunity to learn more about the province's history.

“This is something that everyone in Manitoba should see,” Megan Fast, a Grade 11 history teacher, said at the open house. “Our history and history, especially as it relates to local communities.”

“I've never seen anything up close that I like to touch and read about,” Fast added.

The Archives of Manitoba says it plans to reopen its doors soon and invites the public to take a peak at another part of the province's history.