Great Plains Studies, Center for
Date of this Version
Spring 2012
Citation
Great Plains Research 22.1 (Spring 2012)
Abstract
Manitoba's answer to such waterside attractions as Coney Island and Blackpool, Winnipeg Beach saw tremendous social change over the nearly 70 years Dale Barbour explores. The dates correspond to "the lifespan of Winnipeg Beach as a tourist destination, from its creation by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1901 to the demolition of its dance hall, roller coaster, and boardwalk in 1967." Barbour traces the complexities of the town's development as a primarily heterosocial space for socializing and as a destination for families; its meaning as a paradoxical mixing of nature and culture; and its class and ethnic associations (in contrast to exclusive white, elite, British locations like Victoria Beach). He indicates the CPR's role, not only in providing a mode of transport for Winnipeggers to visit the town, but also in developing facilities for tourist use, including a hotel, dance facilities, and pier.
Comments
© 2012 Copyright by the Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln