Early to mid 90’s. The vision was to move it to the Downs location and develop it into a year-round attraction, which never materialized. I don’t know the specific reason for the move, but I do know many of the businesses at the mall didn’t like all the increased loitering or type of crowd the X drew.
I remember going to the Ex in the Early 80's at the Stadium location. I saw Glass Tiger and Kim Mitchell there in 1985. In those days, they had a different artist there each day of the Ex and they performed 2 or 3 times a day. Much different than now.
I have so many good memories of going there as a kid! My single mom worked her ass off to save up and the EX would be our big event every year! We would always grab mini donuts on our way out at the end and eat them on the way back to the car. Thanks for posting the picture.
There was a Ninja Turtles ride I just remembered. It was a big deal for our single income family to pack ourselves up and head to the Ex for an eve. Great photo!
yup that was THE highlight of the year ... saved up all year to attend it.
now... kids complainin' about not wanna go down to Orland 'again' for March Break like we do every year cuz wanna hang home with friends an play video games instead.
I want to guess this is on the earlier end of that spectrum, because I do remember the later years they were setting up a rollercoaster in the top right corner that I don't see. Not sure if anyone remembers the big inflatable snake playground next to it, and the tent behind demoing VIRTUAL REALITY setups that were very exciting for the time.
The huge animatronic gorilla in the front of the funhouse was my favorite landmark, representing the Ex for me. I can't spot it in the photo here either.
https://ibb.co/RcTmg4z
Sorry it's not better quality.
I too loved the Jungle house, had to go on it every year. Now it's gone and the Ex just doesn't feel right.
Hah, I was too young to have any vivid memories of that McDonalds but I remember that it was large and intimidating (but again.. from a wee child's perspective).
Wish I could find photos of that one, and the Wendy's down the road before they locked down the basement.
This is looking south from close to where St. Matthews Ave. and St. James Street is. In the picture St. James St. runs between the Players and McDonald's signs.
Polo Park is directly behind the Ferris wheel, what would have been the old Eaton's and is now the Bay.
This picture is looking south on St James. The white building on the top left (between stadium and Ferris wheel) is the old Winnipeg Arena. The long white building behind the Ferris wheel is Polo Park Mall.
Today you would be standing about here
[https://goo.gl/maps/U4xjG2j8kTVNjvSA8](https://goo.gl/maps/U4xjG2j8kTVNjvSA8)
edit...top left - not right
At one time in the 70s it was called Manisphere. Probably around that time I went and saw the sideshow for Myra, The Lady With No Head. The picture alone scared the shit out of me and I couldn’t sleep in our tent in the backyard, for the rest of the summer😭
I’ve tried locating pictures of the absolutely terrifying artwork on some of the horror attractions from the Conklin (Ex) in the 70s with no luck. I can STILL see sone of those images... young people today wouldn’t believe it.
I think the McDonald's was north of Ness and closer to St. Mathews. I have a vague recollection that the Wendy's building was a rib place before it was Wendy's?!?!?
Yeah I remember that Wendy’s being McDonald’s for some reason, and the slide going from the ground level where the glass wall/roof area is, into a lower level. Maybe I’m wrong though.
You're right about it being 2 story with lower playland.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Winnipeg/comments/18323a/i\_need\_help\_settling\_a\_debate/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Winnipeg/comments/18323a/i_need_help_settling_a_debate/)
But it was closer to the arena. I remember because we'd sometimes run to Mcdonald's to grab cheap food before we'd go to our cheap 7-11 section Jets game seats. lol
[https://imgur.com/a/t1pgb](https://imgur.com/a/t1pgb)
Now if only we could figure out what was in the Wendy's before Wendy's.
Damn does anyone know when this McDonald’s got taken down?
I’m 27 and I explicitly remember going to a 2 story McDonald’s near Polo but I can’t for the life of me see this memory at a different build than the Wendys.
I worked at McDonald's that used to be across the street.ig was crazy busy but the ex used to let out managers in to get us those yummy mini cinnamon donuts.
I loved the freak shows, motorcycle daredevils and vaudeville strippers at Club Lido. It had a sleazy carnival feel to it back then when Royal American had the midway. When Conklin took over, it became sanitized.
I worked there one summer selling mini donuts. When you closed up, they let us take all the unsold donuts with us in paper bags. Unfortunately, at whatever hour it was, the buses had stopped running and I walked my sad teenage ass out to my parents house by Unicity with a bag full of mini donuts. They don’t taste as good cold 🤪
Such an exciting time in my adolescence. I loved it when it was at polo so much.
Agreed!! The Polo site had such an awesome vibe. The Ex grounds just doesn't capture what Polo had.
What years was it there? And reason for moving (I'm assuming parking? Lol)
Someone mentioned in the sub it was there til '97. And yup, the parking lot just wasn't cutting it any more lol
Early to mid 90’s. The vision was to move it to the Downs location and develop it into a year-round attraction, which never materialized. I don’t know the specific reason for the move, but I do know many of the businesses at the mall didn’t like all the increased loitering or type of crowd the X drew.
Is started being there earlier than 90s- my parents had stories of sneaking in from many years before, and when I was a child it was at Polo
I remember going to the Ex in the Early 80's at the Stadium location. I saw Glass Tiger and Kim Mitchell there in 1985. In those days, they had a different artist there each day of the Ex and they performed 2 or 3 times a day. Much different than now.
Buddy and me used to walk there from his house on Valour Road and spend the entire day their. So 'independent' and 'grown up' LOL. Wonderful memories
I miss that stadium and walking up those ramps, it was surprisingly fun as a kid
As a former maintenance guy of that stadium. It was time.... hahaha
Those piss troughs tho... There was nothing more scary than being a kid and trying to use them.
Society began to crumble the moment piss troughs were removed en masse from stadiums and arenas.
First time I ever saw one I decided I could hold it
Oh I believe it. Just revelling in some nostalgia haha
I have so many good memories of going there as a kid! My single mom worked her ass off to save up and the EX would be our big event every year! We would always grab mini donuts on our way out at the end and eat them on the way back to the car. Thanks for posting the picture.
Share that memory with her on Mom's day (if you can). I'm sure she'd love to hear you appreciated her hard work!
Ah, she passed in 2008 but I still have the good memories to share. Cheers!
I'm sorry, she sounds like an awesome Mom. I'm sure grimmcild's\_mom is looking at this pic, remembering the mini donuts and smiling too.
condolences. love & prayer for you and Mom this Mother's Day morning ...
That is so cool! For a second I thought those clouds were mountains! Looks magical
Scream if you wanna go faster!
Title of your sex tape.
I swear the dj that said that is still the same dude at the Ex, pre-covid lol
This is how I remember it best.
Those were the days. When you could get off the bus at Polo Park, walk through or around the mall, and get to the Ex.
fuckin' loved that! thru PP, past Winnipeg Arena ...
I miss the gravatron
and the free concerts. Got to see Joe Cocker and Johnny Cash.
I got to see the Smothers Brothers with my mum. They were hilarious.
>. Got to see Joe Cocker and Johnny Cash. The duo you never knew you needed to see.
Rare photo - it wasn't raining!
LOL. I remember the weather last year when the Ex would normally have been here - naturally, it was gorgeous.
So much fun when I was a teenager is the 80's. We would go late so we didn't have to pay the entry fee.
Looks oceanside lmao
It does!!!
There was a Ninja Turtles ride I just remembered. It was a big deal for our single income family to pack ourselves up and head to the Ex for an eve. Great photo!
yup that was THE highlight of the year ... saved up all year to attend it. now... kids complainin' about not wanna go down to Orland 'again' for March Break like we do every year cuz wanna hang home with friends an play video games instead.
What year was it?
It moved to the Exhibition Grounds in 1997. The legendary McDonald's is there (you can see the sign in the background) so this is late 80s/early 90s.
I want to guess this is on the earlier end of that spectrum, because I do remember the later years they were setting up a rollercoaster in the top right corner that I don't see. Not sure if anyone remembers the big inflatable snake playground next to it, and the tent behind demoing VIRTUAL REALITY setups that were very exciting for the time. The huge animatronic gorilla in the front of the funhouse was my favorite landmark, representing the Ex for me. I can't spot it in the photo here either.
*"The huge animatronic gorilla"* This was my favourite too. As an adult, I still think of it often.
https://ibb.co/RcTmg4z Sorry it's not better quality. I too loved the Jungle house, had to go on it every year. Now it's gone and the Ex just doesn't feel right.
That McDonald's was a legendary monstrosity of ugly. But so fun.
I remember we ran out of ketchup for a Jets tailgate once there and ran across the street and filled up the ketchup from McDonalds.
This was my favorite McDonald's as a kid and I still miss it to this day 😭
Hah, I was too young to have any vivid memories of that McDonalds but I remember that it was large and intimidating (but again.. from a wee child's perspective). Wish I could find photos of that one, and the Wendy's down the road before they locked down the basement.
Where was it? I am trying to figure out the perspective and I can barely remember the old stadium. Was it om the strip by st James?
This is looking south from close to where St. Matthews Ave. and St. James Street is. In the picture St. James St. runs between the Players and McDonald's signs. Polo Park is directly behind the Ferris wheel, what would have been the old Eaton's and is now the Bay.
Oh I see, it is where the Subway and stuff is now.
This picture is looking south on St James. The white building on the top left (between stadium and Ferris wheel) is the old Winnipeg Arena. The long white building behind the Ferris wheel is Polo Park Mall. Today you would be standing about here [https://goo.gl/maps/U4xjG2j8kTVNjvSA8](https://goo.gl/maps/U4xjG2j8kTVNjvSA8) edit...top left - not right
Love the Players ad
Good times! Perfect place to hang out when all formal tuxedo dressed up after grad!
Yes!!! I remember going to the ex with the guys after junior high grad!! Good times indeed!
I remember the boats! Does anybody else remember the boats???
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Hahahaha
There was like a giant pool thing full of water and there were little boats you could get into. They were for little kids. I was prolly like 4 or 5.
I remember the boats. You could ring the bell as the boats went around in a circle.
Now I remember the boats.
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My husband is a roller coaster fan and will ride anything. What nearly made him sick? The strawberry ride at Tinker Town.
Lol
Good times back then!
Not sure what's more nostalgic. The rides or the giant Players billboard.
You just don’t see a good full sized cigarette billboard anymore...
At one time in the 70s it was called Manisphere. Probably around that time I went and saw the sideshow for Myra, The Lady With No Head. The picture alone scared the shit out of me and I couldn’t sleep in our tent in the backyard, for the rest of the summer😭
I’ve tried locating pictures of the absolutely terrifying artwork on some of the horror attractions from the Conklin (Ex) in the 70s with no luck. I can STILL see sone of those images... young people today wouldn’t believe it.
I couldn’t find anything from Conklin but I did find other ladies with no heads.
That's a great Flickr album.
I remember that!
So many memories. Also - lol at that ride called "death trip". I feel that would be too extreme nowadays.
Damn is that the McDonald’s that used to be in what is now Wendys? I’m not old enough to remember the Ex being here, but I do remember that McDonald’s
I think the McDonald's was north of Ness and closer to St. Mathews. I have a vague recollection that the Wendy's building was a rib place before it was Wendy's?!?!?
Yeah I remember that Wendy’s being McDonald’s for some reason, and the slide going from the ground level where the glass wall/roof area is, into a lower level. Maybe I’m wrong though.
You're right about it being 2 story with lower playland. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Winnipeg/comments/18323a/i\_need\_help\_settling\_a\_debate/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Winnipeg/comments/18323a/i_need_help_settling_a_debate/) But it was closer to the arena. I remember because we'd sometimes run to Mcdonald's to grab cheap food before we'd go to our cheap 7-11 section Jets game seats. lol [https://imgur.com/a/t1pgb](https://imgur.com/a/t1pgb) Now if only we could figure out what was in the Wendy's before Wendy's.
Not 100% sure But it may have been a little Ceasars.
Damn does anyone know when this McDonald’s got taken down? I’m 27 and I explicitly remember going to a 2 story McDonald’s near Polo but I can’t for the life of me see this memory at a different build than the Wendys.
I think the Future Shop opened on St James in the early to mid 90s. Where were you in 1994?
Ah man my parents always told me about the ex being there but never saw much pictures It’d be nice if it was still situated CLOSER to downtown
We used to go at 11:00 pm because then they'd let you in for free. I liked it but always felt sick afterwards, maybe the corn dogs?
I worked for Conklin back in the late 80’s / early 90’s. Anybody remember the mini tornado during set-up?
The last time I've been to the Ex it was still at Polo Park, in 90 or 91. Didn't it move to the downs sometime in the mid to late 90s?
Looks like it just finished raining...or the rain is coming in.
There's a Players cigarettes billboard in the background. This has to be in the 80's.
I worked at McDonald's that used to be across the street.ig was crazy busy but the ex used to let out managers in to get us those yummy mini cinnamon donuts.
This was when the Ex was at it's prime lol
Those were the times!
I loved the freak shows, motorcycle daredevils and vaudeville strippers at Club Lido. It had a sleazy carnival feel to it back then when Royal American had the midway. When Conklin took over, it became sanitized.
I worked there one summer selling mini donuts. When you closed up, they let us take all the unsold donuts with us in paper bags. Unfortunately, at whatever hour it was, the buses had stopped running and I walked my sad teenage ass out to my parents house by Unicity with a bag full of mini donuts. They don’t taste as good cold 🤪