Stolen City: Racial Capitalism and the Making of Winnipeg

by Owen Toews

Through a combination of historical and contemporary analysis this book shows how settler colonialism, as a mode of racial capitalism, has made and remade Winnipeg and the Canadian Prairie West over the past one hundred and fifty years. It traces the emergence of a 'dominant bloc', or alliance, in Winnipeg that has imagined and installed successive regional development visions to guarantee its own wealth and power. The book gives particular attention to the ways that an ascendant post-industrial urban redevelopment vision for Winnipeg's city-centre has renewed longstanding colonial 'legacies' of dispossession and racism over the past forty years. In doing so, it moves beyond the common tendency to break apart histories of settler-colonial conquest from studies of urban history or contemporary urban processes.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada, Politics, History, Activism, Indigenous

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Gabriele Goldstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Did I ever learn a lot. Fascinating, but also a tough slog. It's very much changed my view of this city.

[Elias Rieger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed the way I see Winnipeg and cities in general. Toews goes through each period of the development of the city and describes the visions of the dominant ruling class, as well as counter visions proposed by Indigenous groups, activists, poets, and workers. In each period, he shows how the ruling class' vision ultimately prevailed. The book is dense, and at times it can be sad and discouraging, but I ended up feeling inspired to build power through community organizing.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that not only looks at the past colonial wrongs but also current injustices that were/are taking place in Winnipeg center within the last decade. Essential reading for anyone curious about the history of Winnipeg.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have lived in Winnipeg for 22 years, yet much of the history in "Stolen City" was still new to me. We have a long way to go to acknowledge the different development visions that have existed for Winnipeg... and the degree to which those envisioned by First Nations and Metis people have been shot down by City Hall.

[Steve Boyko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tough read. The language is dense but if you invest the time and energy, you will see how Winnipeg has been built on racial capitalism and continues to developed at the expense of its poorer citizens.

[Alex Passey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy to read and incredibly well researched deconstruction of Winnipeg's history, subverting the narratives of white-washed capital-friendly retellings. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it manages to both tell a history that could be from most setter-colonial cities, but it also tells a history that is uniquely Winnipeg. Gentrifying the land by flooding it with white, middle class friendly infrastructure to ultimately displace people of colour from their neighbourhoods is nothing new in the capitalist west, but Winnipeg's particular history with its indigenous population makes it the perfect microcosm for summing up the ruthlessness of colonialism, in both the subtle and the blunt.

I wouldn't only recommend this book for everyone. I think it is accessible, educational and important enough that it could would be a great resource for high school history classes. This book is a must read, but especially for people living in Winnipeg.

[Brian Vockeroth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very mind-opening history & view of my hometown, Winnipeg, which adds to the overall understanding of the socio-demographic history and current challenges there. The way this book outlines the historical and ongoing stealing of land(s) and disenfranchisement of the indigenous populations who inhabited / inhabit the region is thorough and deeply meaningful in a contemporary context. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Winnipeg's history and / or settler colonialism... And settler colonialism is something we should ALL be mindful of for countless reasons.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dense but brilliant. Compelling take on Winnipeg’s history.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was very eye-opening and really challenged my view of Main Street. This is definitely one of those reads that I will think about often and will stick with me.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me incredibly hyped up about injustice in this city. Should be required reading for politicians and high school students.