The Exchange District, a national historic site; heritage interpretation strategy

Abstract

On September 22, 1997, Winnipeg's Exchange District was designated a National Historic Site by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada because it continues to reflect the city's role as the gateway to the Canadian west in the period from 1880 to 1913. There are only a handful of districts across Canada which have been bestowed with this honour. A group of stakeholders, including the three levels of government, business interests and heritage groups, came together and formed the Exchange District Heritage Partnership. Their mandate was to develop a comprehensive interpretation strategy for the commemoration and interpretation of the District's rich and vibrant history. An interpretation strategy is meant to foster a greater understanding, and hence appreciation, of the resources associated with a historical and cultural resource. The purpose of this thesis is to review and critique the development of the work of the Exchange District Heritage Partnership by measuring the process against the project's Terms of Reference. The author of this thesis was hired as the Project Coordinator by the Partnership. Three stages of work were completed covering a wide range of items including identification of historical themes, general research and data collection, public consultation, and the production of several drafts. The result was a Heritage Interpretation Strategy which met the goals of the project's Terms of Reference. (Abstract s ortened by UMI.)