Assiniboine Park Zoo

Sources

David Spector, Assiniboine Park: Designing and Developing a People’s Playground – A lovely local history with lots of photos and interesting details

City of Winnipeg Parks and Recreation Department, The history and development of Assiniboine Park and Zoo, 1972.

Catherine McDonald, A City at Leisure: An Illustrated History of Parks and Recreation Services in Winnipeg, 1995.

Dorothy G. Bell, “Sally Warnock, ‘Humane Lady’ of West, Fairy Godmother to Winnipeg’s ‘Strays,’ McLean’s, 1923-12-15.

Margaret Atwood, “Don’t Expect the Bear to Dance,” McLean’s, 1975-06-01.

Manitoba Historical Society, specifically this tidbit on Sally Warnock but always very helpful.

City of Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, Assiniboine Park Pavilion, 1982-01-30.

The Winnipeg Tribune via U of M Digital Archives

The Winnipeg Free Press archive, which is accessible with your Winnipeg Public Library card

Pastforward has a ton of great old Assiniboine Park photos, if you want to peruse more!

Thanks to Alex’s sister Laina for tracking down family pictures and helping to date some archival photos!

This episode we take a leisurely stroll through the history of Assiniboine Park and the Zoo. We meet a couple of Winnipeg’s most notable historical animal lovers and talk about how the zoo became what it is today despite decades of underfunding – not to mention a crooked gardener, a flood, and a very predictable fire.

Listen to the full episode :