Dominion News Closed

In 2024 Dominion News would have been 100 years old. Alas, Covid 19 robbed it of customers over two years to the point that it just couldn't last any longer. It was an old school store with no website and totally reliant on pedestrian traffic. While people are slowly trickling back, the result for restaurant and retail business has been awful. 

The store was till the end the seller of everything from out of town newspapers to 100 different porn magazines as well as a peep show. Despite its reputation the store lasted many decades. Cigarette sales in recent years were affected by contraband tobacco and dollar store prices made it hard to compete with other products. Likewise, the legalization of cannabis meant stores that sold marijuana paraphernalia were in every neighbourhood. No need to tramp downtown when cannabis stores are on every street in the city.

Despite all travails, the store still might have survived had Covid not emptied Portage and Main. The last of the restrictions might have been dropped but workers will not fully be back for months yet. And apartments that have been going up in large numbers are only now being leased. Too hard to wait for when the pandemic has lasted two years.

Dominion News was the longest operating store downtown and survived when Woolworth's, Eaton's and The Bay all closed before. It is not known which store has the honour of longest running downtown store anymore. There are very few candidates left since Covid wreaked havoc on so many businesses. Perhaps O Calcutta on Portage Avenue which started in 1976 or Toad Hall Toys on Arthur which started in 1977. There might be others so give me a shout.

Dominion News used to have two stores on either side of Portage. Not to mention a number of mall locations over 40 years ago. The old owner ran Circus Circus pinball on north Portage Avenue but alas, most of the pinball places on Portage did not survive the expropriation of Portage Place.

The lack of a subway or train system in Winnipeg means the city has not the news stands that can be seen in places like Toronto with Gateway News. The move to digital in all things has meant people no longer need or want a print newspaper for commutes even when it is free. What they want is highspeed WIFI everywhere.  However, not too long ago, the free Metro newspapers were available, at many bus stops in news boxes and at every convenience store.

Likewise, Free Press and Sun boxes were much more prolific than they are now. In fact, at a busy intersection, it was possible to see Free Press, Sun, Globe and Mail and National Post boxes all side by side along with free newspapers. During the 1980s through 90s, USA Today boxes were in the city in many places and it was possible to buy the weekend Toronto Star at 7/11. They also had USA Today for many years at the convenience store. At McNally or Chapters, it was possible to pick up many out of town newspapers.

Surprisingly, while newspapers in print form are far harder to find in delivery, news boxes or bookstores, there remains as aisle or more of magazines in convenience, grocery and bookstores. It proves there is still a market for such material and that digital is not eliminating paper everywhere.

There are a number of empty store fronts such as where Dominion News once stood that could be an opportunity as people return to work downtown and ever growing number of apartments are built. It will be interesting to see what ends up in there and other places.