Buildings of Winnipeg
The original core of the city of Winnipeg, called the Exchange District, was declared a National Historic Site by the federal Minister of Canadian Heritage on September 27, 1997.
It was recommended by the Historic Sites and Monuments board that Winnipeg's Exchange District be designated an historic district of national significance because it illustrates the city's key role as a centre of grain and wholesale trade, finance and manufacturing.
Between 1880 and 1900 Winnipeg was the gateway to Canada's West; and between 1900 and 1913, when the city's growth made it the region's metropolis.