It’s Winnipeg’s most famous intersection — known as much for its legendary windy conditions as for being a gathering site for protests, celebrations and other key events in the city’s history.
With Portage and Main once again open to pedestrians after four-and-a-half decades, here’s a gallery of some of the iconic corner’s newsworthy moments, past and present.
Portage and Main was initially closed to foot traffic in the late 1970s, coinciding with the creation of the underground concourse linking four corner properties. A 40-year deal to permanently close the intersection to pedestrians came into effect around 1978.
The closure has remained controversial ever since, and was the subject of a hotly debated plebiscite during the 2018 municipal election. Mayor Scott Gillingham called for Portage and Main to reopen last year, and after an eight-month construction project, the famous corner finally welcomed foot traffic again Friday morning.
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