Please join Oseredok virtually and in-person to explore the works of Alexander Kulchynsky in the new exhibition Demolition of the Salter Street Bridge and the Construction of the Slaw Rebchuk Bridge on a Daily Basis from 1983 to 1984 opening August 5th, 2021, at 7pm.
What began as a way of commemorating the end of a fixture that stood in Winnipeg’s North End for decades, the Demolition of the Salter Street Bridge and the Construction of the Slaw Rebchuk Bridge on a Daily Basis from 1983 to 1984 project became a multi-year documentation endeavour which captured the changing face of the city.
In the words of Alexander Kulchynsky:
“With preparation already under way to replace the Salter Street Bridge I was eager to take a few photos of the bridge while it still remained. What started off as a few photos expanded to taking photos of the surrounding neighbourhood which was under redevelopment. This was the opportunity to photograph what was still the neighbourhood before it was changed forever. A vacant Log Cabin clad in siding was discovered in the neighbourhood behind a large fenced and tree covered area across from the CPR Warehouse on Higgins Avenue and Patrick Street. I documented the dismantling and removal of the Log Cabin by the Manitoba Historical Society.
My Salter Street Bridge Project began on May 9, 1983 and continued till November 17, 1984.
I recorded images on 420 rolls of 35mm b/w film and a few rolls of 35mm colour film. In the brochure for the opening day of the Official Slaw Rebchuk Bridge Ceremony, Monday October 29, 1984 one of my photos was featured on the back page and two on the centre page spread.
With a substantial portion of Salter Street Bridge still standing after the ceremony, I continued to take photos of the demolition and new construction on a daily basis until the last pieces of Salter Street Bridge steel structure was carted off on a flatbed truck into the distance. At that point I considered an important portion of my project was completed.”
