About the house
This house was McLuhan’s home from 1920 to 1934, the year that the young Marshall left Winnipeg after earning his B.A. and M.A in English literature at the University of Manitoba to pursue further education at Cambridge in England.
Transforming the McLuhan House at 507 Gertrude Ave to The Marshall McLuhan Centre
Gertrude Avenue is where he grew up. To paraphrase the 1970 Neil Young song “Helpless,” we of The Initiative believe that “all his changes were here.” 507 Gertrude Ave. also has the distinction of being the place where Marshall lived the longest of anywhere in his life. To quote a friend of the Initiative, Richard Altman, “The Seer of the Global Village [i.e. Marshall McLuhan] grew up in Osborne Village.”
We at The Marshall McLuhan Initiative are anticipating with joy transforming the humble house on Gertrude into a vibrant Centre, liaising with like-minded organizations and individuals around the world. In making this connection with the Global Village, we’ll be sure not to neglect the local Winnipegger, or as Marshall’s would call them, “Winnipigeons,” and afford all in-person visitors an all-too-rare “third space” (that’s neither work nor home), a place of conviviality, and an unforgettable experience to which attendees would want to return to time and again.
What will our invitation be? “Come for the Message. Stay for the Medium!”