EARLY BEGINNINGS
The Winnipeg Electric Street Railway Company (WESR.Co.) was incorporated in 1892 to construct and operate an electric street railway on the streets of the City of Winnipeg, St. Boniface, and in adjacent municipalities: to sell electric heat, light or power. The WESR.Co constructed the Pinawa Generating Station on the Winnipeg River between 1902 and 1906.

In the decades following 1906, the City grew; other energy companies emerged; constructed new and larger dams; utilities amalgamated; and the transmission line network was constructed to provide service to rural Manitoba.

Winnipeg had a viable electric transportation system far ahead of its time. By 1946 the system was in need of major upgrading as few improvements were made during the war. With pressure from the Automobile Association and traffic engineers, the streetcar and trolleybuses were slowly replaced with diesel buses that were cheaper to operate. The last streetcars made their run in 1955, and the trolley buses were discontinued in 1970.

PEAK OIL CRISIS!
The increased price of oil and other hydrocarbon fuels has made renewable energy systems an economic issue and not only an environmental one. North America faced an overwhelming energy crisis with dwindling petroleum reserves and emerging economies.

In Winnipeg, most of the electricity produced is used for street lighting, business lighting, and public transportation. As a result of the international energy demand being greater than the domestic need, very little of the electricity produced by Hydro is left for residential use. Micro-generation of electricity became feasible for most dwellings, with some residents making a small profit through net metering to back into the Grid.

    HIGH SPEED CORRIDOR
In response to elevated jet fuel and trucking expenses the Federal government constructed a high-speed rail across the country. An electrified rail system is the most energy-efficient means of moving large numbers of people between cities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption significantly. Responding to the peak oil crisis and adapting to avoid collapse, architecture performs another aspect of infrastructure to nurture a resilient city.

RETURN OF THE STREETCAR!
As a provincial Crown Corporation, Manitoba Hydro acquired Winnipeg Transit and rebuilt the city’s transit network to provide power to people via the streetcar hopper. The Hopper represents a viable transportation alternative that breaks the stranglehold of the ‘car-only’ option of the city. It swarms and infests the streets, dismantling the power of the automobile as it reclaims the city. A Hopper faces many obstacles and challenges as it navigates the city.

At the end of the day the Hopper returns to the Remix City to recharge. The maintenance crew is responsible for providing safe and reliable service to thousands of daily riders. With the ultimate right-of-way the streetcars navigate the city with a series of sensors. The Hopper tramples over automobiles that are in its path while yielding to pedestrian traffic. Damaged cars are captured and dragged back to the Remix City to be recycled.

THE REMIX CITY
In anticipation of the arrival of the high-speed rail, streetcars are put into service as workhorses to help construct the Remix City. The corridor runs through the heart of Winnipeg. The Remix City is a mixed-use train station and nest for Winnipeg’s colony of electric streetcars. Manitoba Hydro constructed the semi-subterranean operations and maintenance facility in downtown Winnipeg to meet the agency’s demand for transit service. The Remix City can accommodate and provide service for up to 200 electric streetcars. Within the factory the abandoned cars are recycled and used along with other reclaimed material to reconstruct the city in a resilient manner.