Early Elmwood history, part 2

Jim Smith By: Jim Smith Posted:

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/03/2021 (726 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The name ‘Elmwood,’ covering the district from Harbison Avenue and the area to the south, only came into existence after the creation of the Elmwood Cemetery in 1902, according to the research I have done. 
The irony of this fact is that, in the area west of Henderson Highway closest to the Elmwood Cemetery, now called Glenelm, many current residents of that area do not wish to use ‘Elmwood’ to describe their area. Glenelm was only created by those residents in the 1990s. It is named after the only school in Elmwood west of Henderson Highway which was not even the original name of the school built in 1929, which was called Glenwood School.
Prior to the Elmwood name coming into existence, the area was referred to as the Louise Bridge District or Kildonan Village, as Elmwood was part of the Municipality of Kildonan until 1906, when it became part of the City of Winnipeg.
 Many street names in Elmwood have changed over the years, especially in the early years after 1906. The southern part of Elmwood was part of the Town of St Boniface prior to 1896, which accounts for some of its French street names.
Henderson Highway in the 1800s was called the East Road to distinguish it from the West Road, which was Main Street. By 1900, all of Henderson Highway was called Birds Hill Road. In 1909 the City of Winnipeg renamed its portion Kelvin Street while the area to the north was renamed East Kildonan Road and in 1929, Henderson Highway. Kelvin Street remained the Elmwood portion of the road until 1963, when it, too, became Henderson Highway.
In 1906 several street were renamed. Chambers Avenue became Chalmers Avenue; Jackson Avenue became Johnson Avenue; Lemoine Avenue became  part of Nairn Avenue; Minto Street turned into Grey Street; Nairn’s Road became Nairn Avenue; Palk Avenue became Sandhurst Avenue; Railway Street turned into Raleigh Street; Regent Street became Rodent Street; Stewart Avenue became Hart Avenue; Taylor Avenue became Talbot Avenue; Plessis Avenue became Newton Avenue, which was changed again in 1973 to William Newton Avenue.
Later street name changes include Vaudreuil Avenue to Midwinter Avenue in 1939; Montcalm Street south of Chalmers Avenue to Archibald Street in the early 1950s, and then to Watt Street in 1960. Panet Road became Birds Hill Road in 1909 and was then changed back to Panet in 1970
Jim Smith is a community correspondent for Elmwood, East Kildonan and North Kildonan. Email him at jimsmith@mts.net 

The name ‘Elmwood,’ covering the district from Harbison Avenue and the area to the south, only came into existence after the creation of the Elmwood Cemetery in 1902, according to the research I have done. 

The irony of this fact is that, in the area west of Henderson Highway closest to the Elmwood Cemetery, now called Glenelm, many current residents of that area do not wish to use ‘Elmwood’ to describe their area. Glenelm was only created by those residents in the 1990s. It is named after the only school in Elmwood west of Henderson Highway which was not even the original name of the school built in 1929, which was called Glenwood School.

Manitoba Historical Society The area now known as Glenelm was named for Glenelm School, which was called Glenwood School when it was built in 1929 (not to be confused with Glenwood School in Old St. Vital).

Prior to the Elmwood name coming into existence, the area was referred to as the Louise Bridge District or Kildonan Village, as Elmwood was part of the Municipality of Kildonan until 1906, when it became part of the City of Winnipeg.

 Many street names in Elmwood have changed over the years, especially in the early years after 1906. The southern part of Elmwood was part of the Town of St Boniface prior to 1896, which accounts for some of its French street names.

Henderson Highway in the 1800s was called the East Road to distinguish it from the West Road, which was Main Street. By 1900, all of Henderson Highway was called Birds Hill Road. In 1909 the City of Winnipeg renamed its portion Kelvin Street while the area to the north was renamed East Kildonan Road and in 1929, Henderson Highway. Kelvin Street remained the Elmwood portion of the road until 1963, when it, too, became Henderson Highway.

In 1906 several street were renamed. Chambers Avenue became Chalmers Avenue; Jackson Avenue became Johnson Avenue; Lemoine Avenue became  part of Nairn Avenue; Minto Street turned into Grey Street; Nairn’s Road became Nairn Avenue; Palk Avenue became Sandhurst Avenue; Railway Street turned into Raleigh Street; Regent Street became Rodent Street; Stewart Avenue became Hart Avenue; Taylor Avenue became Talbot Avenue; Plessis Avenue became Newton Avenue, which was changed again in 1973 to William Newton Avenue.

Later street name changes include Vaudreuil Avenue to Midwinter Avenue in 1939; Montcalm Street south of Chalmers Avenue to Archibald Street in the early 1950s, and then to Watt Street in 1960. Panet Road became Birds Hill Road in 1909 and was then changed back to Panet in 1970

Jim Smith is a community correspondent for Elmwood, East Kildonan and North Kildonan. Email him at jimsmith@mts.net 

Jim Smith

Jim Smith

Jim Smith is a community correspondent for Elmwood, East Kildonan and North Kildonan. Email him at jimsmith@mts.net

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