Rare colour footage surfaces of 1939 royal visit to Winnipeg

Amateur footage of the Royal Family's visit to Winnipeg nearly 80 years ago is now online in unusually colourful detail.

JustinGulenchynsays his dad bought two cans of old film from an estate sale more than a decade ago, but the pair only recently discovered what was on them during the holidays.

Not only was the footage in colour,it included scenes from when King George VI and Queen Elizabethpassed through Winnipeg on May 24, 1939. It was mere months before the Second World War began.

Gulenchyn, whois in media production, fed the eightmillimetre film through an old projector in late December. He and his dad were surprised by what they found.

"It was quite impressive, seeing as how commercially available amateurcolour film was only released in 1935-36," saidGulenchyn.

The nearly 10-minute video doesn't include audiobut it doesincludescenes of marching bands and paradesrecorded in the lead up to the visit, followed by footage of the royals pulling into town on a custom-outfitted train.

Thousands crowd the sides of the streetsasKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth wave from a convertible with a motorcade of cars and horses in tow.

"Seeing all the familiar places around the city, you sort of see how the city has evolved," saidGulenchyn. "Even just the slice of life, the daily garb people are wearing You just kind of see how far we have come."

Gulenchynsaid while he isn't an expert on the royals like many Canadians, he still appreciates how significant the video is.

"I've never been a fan myself,"Gulenchynsaid with a laugh. "But I understand it, I get it. Iunderstand the adoration for it, I understand that sort of fandom around it."

'An absolutely monumental event'

Dwight MacAulay is, on the other hand, a royals expert and was shocked to see the footage.

"I never have seen anything like this," MacAulay said. "I have never seen a video of any kind of that visit, let alone one of colour."

"What a fantastic look back at the absolutely, unbelievable welcomeKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth received in Winnipeg," he said.

The 1939 visit is likely the most famous and historic royal visit to Manitoba ever, he said.

MacAulayretired earlier this year from his job as Manitoba's chief of protocol. He helped organizea series of royal visits to Winnipeg in recent decades. He alsohas two royal honours to his name he was invested as Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 2002 and Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2010.

A Winnipeg man bought some cans of film at an estate sale not knowing the royal twist to his find

7 years ago

Duration 1:49

Amateur footage of the Royal Family's visit to Winnipeg nearly 80 years ago is now online in unusually colourful detail.

He said he was struck by the scale of the celebration in the streets shown in the video, as well as the architecture in downtown Winnipeg.

"When you look at how the city was decked out for that royal visit, I mean, it was just an absolutely monumental event in the city and in the province at that time."

Person behind the camera a mystery

What remains a mystery is who shot the footage.

The video is in good enough shape to suggest that it was important to whoever recorded it, which is why Gulenchynand his dad decided to post it online so that it will live on forever.

"Maybe he watched [the film], maybe he showed it to his friends or family, and then it went into a box and sat there for however many years," said Gulenchyn.

"Then the journey that it goes on is so fascinating," he said. "To end up in my father's hands, whose son works in a production company, who can transfer this digitally, it may seem so insignificant, but it's all about sharing that."