Banners add liveliness to the street, designate districts and highlight significant areas, while also promoting events and our history.

The Downtown BIZ works to ensure street banners are in place year round, lining major thoroughfares and character areas throughout downtown. Following a five-year banner strategy, the BIZ will add more banners each year to create a “wow” factor downtown, add colour and interest, and designate signature streets and distinct districts.

The Downtown BIZ has displayed banners since 1991 for events like Young Artists on the Avenue and programs like Easy Streets. More recently, we have put up banners at the major downtown gateways to welcome people downtown; along Portage Avenue, downtown’s most visible thoroughfare; and along Graham Avenue to highlight the unique district. Every year a banner design contest is held for Chinatown to celebrate the Chinese New Year.


Banner Projects

Downtown Gateway Banners
The Downtown BIZ rolled out the welcome mat when 68 colourful banners were raised at major gateways into the city centre. The banners clearly draw downtown’s boundaries, while also celebrating our seasons and creating vibrancy along some of Winnipeg’s most prominent thoroughfares.

Banners are displayed at eight gateways, including the Midtown Bridge, Osborne Bridge, Disraeli leading up to Main Street, North Main Street near Higgins, Main Street Bridge, Portage Avenue in front of the University of Winnipeg and on Pioneer and Water south of CanWest Global Park.
 
The colourful banners alternate between a vinyl “Welcome Downtown” banner and artistic seasonal images. Three seasonal designs are alternated throughout the year. Summer is represented by butterflies, winter by snowflakes and spring by flowers.


Portage Avenue banners
Fifty-five banners were raised downtown on Portage in February 2008 to celebrate Winnipeg’s most renowned avenue by the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.

The bright red banners highlight the many uses of Portage Avenue, including shopping, entertainment, and dining, as well as its historical significance. Portage is our central corridor, and these banners show a mix of contemporary and historic, just like the current reality of Portage Avenue.

The vinyl banners line both sides of Winnipeg’s most prominent thoroughfare from Main Street to Balmoral Street on every other light pole. They were designed by Tétro Design. 

Graham Mall Banners
Twenty nine art deco-styled banners were raised downtown on Graham Avenue in March 2008 by the Downtown BIZ. The artistic banners highlight the district’s art deco feel and complements Winnipeg Transit’s efforts to update the area.

The vinyl banners showcase four designs depicting shopping and dining set against the backdrop of a Transit Mall. Three banners depict a café, shopping in front of The Bay, and an old streetcar. A fourth banner shows the new logo for Graham Mall. About 24,000 people use the Graham Mall transit stops each weekday.

The vinyl banners line both sides of Graham Avenue from Main Street to Vaughan Street at the Bay. They were designed by Guppy Design. The BIZ shortened the Graham Avenue Transit Mall name to “Graham Mall” for signage and marketing. 

“Graham is one of the most-used streets when it comes to Transit. It has great walkability and wonderful small businesses,” says Stefano Grande, Downtown BIZ executive director. “These banners highlight this unique neighbourhood while also reflecting the importance of public transportation to downtown.”

The banners are the most recent initiative to enliven Graham Mall. Graham Avenue saw over $1 million in improvements over the past two years by Winnipeg Transit, and the BIZ, with new information boards, bus shelters, bike racks, flower planters and improvements to the sidewalk to make it more accessible.

Chinatown Banner Contest
Fifteen banners are raised each year in January or February in Chinatown to celebrate the Chinese New year. The winning design for the Year of the Rat banner competition in 2008 was selected from 61 entries in the annual competition. The jury, made up of members from the Chinese and downtown business community, selected the design for its striking look and representation of the character of the rat. The colour red shows good fortune and according to Chinese tradition, the rat is creative, cunning, active and an opportunist.

The winner, Kathleen Olivier, is a graphic design student at Red River College. She received a $700 honorarium and was honoured at the Chinese New Year celebration and dinner held by the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre.