From cornices to columns, new site takes digital dive inside Manitoba's architectural marvels

The St. Boniface Cathedral is pictured in an undated still from Heritage Winnipeg's new DiscoverIT website. (Heritage Winnipeg)

A new website offers browsers the chance to take a virtual step inside some of Manitoba’s most notable buildings to learn about their architectural and historical significance.

Heritage Winnipeg is set to launch DiscoverIT Thursday at 8 a.m.

The free, bilingual site invites users on an interactive journey through Manitoba’s outstanding built heritage and beyond.

“The impetus for the website was to understand that people love the history of these buildings, but people also love the architecture of these buildings, so this website is kind of a marriage of both,” explained Cindy Tugwell, Heritage Winnipeg’s executive director.

The site features over 100 buildings throughout the province complete with maps, history, images, and architectural information aimed at giving users a comprehensive picture of each landmark.

You can also learn more about each style of architecture, and even add your own images to the site’s database.

There is also an illustrated glossary to make architectural jargon easy to understand, plus a building identification tool that helps pinpoint a building’s style or type.

“You're going to learn about the architectural terminology, which is often an impediment when learning about different buildings, when you talk about the cornice or the Corinthian columns,” Tugwell said.

The site also features downloaded educational resources geared to Grades 4 to 8 which allow teachers to bring architecture into the classroom.

DiscoverIT was created in partnership with Pattern Interactive and with funding from Digital Museums Canada.

Tugwell said the site has been in the works for about five years, with the pandemic delaying its launch. She describes it as a labour of love.

“Everything is online, digital and available to anyone, and I think that's critical going forward in continuing to advocate for places like the Exchange District, a national historic site, for people to understand why we do what we do.”