THE
Manitoba legislature: Under the Dome
A rare space belonging to all MANITOBANS
Virtually preserved
It all started with a cbc news article…
In early 2019 the CBC wrote an article. The purpose: The 100th anniversary of the Golden Boy. So CBC sent a journalist in to the seldom (emphasis on seldom) seen areas under the dome where Eternal Youth - the Golden Boy’s official name - has stood since 1919. But one thing bothered me about the Corps’ write up - pictures. Or rather the lack of. There are only four (4!) photos of the entire space. This injustice must be rectified.
Four such a famous and important spot, almost no one ever gets to see it or has seen it. Humans are visual creatures. And when something is as rare as this, the most precise words on earth are just not as good as photos. So I started to contact different people at the leg to inquire how I can get myself up there. This was to both document the area for all Manitobans and also to satisfy my urban exploring spirit. After finally finding out the minister of finance is the official gatekeeper of the highest attic in Winnipeg, I got to work drafting my official request letter. I sent in one via email and dropped off a hand signed hard copy, just to cover all my bases and make sure the minister would 100% see my request.
Weeks went by.
Then almost two months later after I had almost given up hope of ever hearing back, in rolled an email from the ministers office - I was in!
I was allotted one hour. I had access to the roof and the space under the dome (where the small press conference was staged during that CBC article) and even the upper chamber directly under Hermes himself. I was hoping I would get to even climb the stairs and pop open the hatch in the copper dome, but I knew that was a long shot.
This is 60 minutes
I met the facility manager in his office at 10:00 am sharp. From there we started the journey at room 371. 371 is more of an entry way than a room. As The door opened it was like to me the scene in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory when the door opens to the Chocolate Room and Pure Imagination starts playing. Even with having to climb the tightest cement spiral staircase ever made while a massive camera bag in on my back almost denying me entry into the forbidden urbex Narnia.
First stop was the roof of the 3 story main building at the base of the tower. There I got to see up close such statues as the sphinx and the ark of the covenant. Most of the Tyndall-stone stone work is in dire disrepair as can be seen by the gap and shifting of the stones in the 11th and 12th photos below. Thankfully as of spring 2020 the building will start a 15 year $150 Million renovation.
…(story to be continued)
