Thinking Big

From pre-contact Indigenous trading through 1939, Thinking Big examines the history of businesses, business leaders, and organizations in Winnipeg. Discover how the Winnipeg business community dealt with challenges such as the Great Depression and the post-World War I depression, and organized itself to take advantage of periods of growth and prosperity.“Jim Blanchard has produced yet another great read about the history of Manitoba” – Sandy Riley, Canadian lawyer and business leader“Jim Blanchard is a prolific local historian, whose books have brought the early history of Winnipeg to life for countless readers. In Thinking Big, he draws our eye to the city's business development, from the HBC and the Indigenous free traders of the fur trade, to the much less well-known story of North Star Oil. His case studies show that ‘thinking big' was not only about private capital and intrepid settler entrepreneurs, but relied critically on public investment and oversight.” – Esyllt W. Jones, Professor of History, University of Manitoba