Winnipeg experienced a severe economic downturn in advance of the early 1980s recession , during which the city incurred closures of prominent businesses , including the '' Winnipeg Tribune '' , as well as the Swift 's and Canada Packers meat packing plants . In 1981 , Winnipeg was one of the first cities in Canada to sign a tripartite agreement with the provincial and federal governments to redevelop its downtown area , and the three levels of government contributed over $ 271 million to its development . In 1989 , the reclamation and redevelopment of the CNR rail yards turned The Forks into Winnipeg 's most popular tourist attraction . The city was threatened by the 1997 Red River flood as well as further floods in 2009 and 2011 , in each of these floods , the Red River Floodway was used to safely protect the city
1997 Red River flood
1997 Red River flood
Winnipeg