The Forth Dimension
Nearly a century in, the Dawson Richardson Building is as strong and steadying as your first cup of coffee in the morning. Home to Forth, the building at 171 McDermot Avenue has become a community centre for the Exchange District.
The owners, Jen and Paul Nikkel, are Winnipeggers who now live overseas. While they were involved in renovating and opening the space in 2016, the day-to-day operations are now in the hands of general manager Pamela Kirkpatrick.
The former owner of Cakeology, she was looking for a new challenge. Forth’s small kitchen provided her with one. While Forth’s focus is on specialty coffee, the café’s avocado toast is one of the most Instagramed around. The café also offers beet, mushroom and bacon jam versions, alongside quiche, falafel wraps, shakshuka (eggplant ragu, poached eggs, feta and walnuts) and soup and salads.
A Heritage Winnipeg award recognized “the sensitive and innovative rehabilitation of the Dawson Richardson building.” Originally home to trade publications in later iterations was a steak house and pool hall. Heritage Winnipeg noted the attention to detail in the redesign of the space, and for taking every impediment as a design challenge throughout the renovation. The work completed was beyond cosmetic, ensuring the 98-year-old building has the structural integrity to last another 100 years, said Kirkpatrick.
The large, multi-use space provides a place for people to gather, said Kirkpatrick. “I like to see how the vibe changes through the day and week. It’s a big eclectic space. It’s an easy place to meet up with people.”
In addition to serving as a place for people to work and study, the space can serve as a music and arts venue and a place to host weddings and other celebrations. The basement bar is “dark, cozy and industrial,” inspired by Forth’s owners’ favourite Berlin bars, said Kirkpatrick. Meanwhile, Forth’s sunny rooftop bar is a popular spot for first dates, she said.
“It is the Exchange District’s community centre,” said café manager Jordan Cayer. Forth employs a staff of nearly 40 people, many with an arts background who help program the space for events such as Nuit Blanche. The building has also served as a movie set. Shoppers will also find a wall of retail products, curated by Lucky Girl, the people behind a successful series of pop-up shops. Forth is also home to coffee roaster Dogwood, part of sourcing the best, said Cayer. This extends to the use of locally sourced products, from Sleepy Owl and Red Spring bakeries, and milk from Stony Brook Creamery.
Cayer is proud of their offerings, and happy to see new people step into Forth every day. “We have our regulars, but I’m surprised by how many people say, ‘How long have you been here?’ or ‘I didn’t know you were here.’ We’re still being discovered.”
All photos by Claudine Gervais
