Blue route should stop at Deer Lodge

St. James

The corner of Woodlawn Street and Portage Avenue has been a gathering place for about 170 years. In 1859, James McKay, a Métis trader and politician (he was the first speaker of the Manitoba legislature), and his wife Margaret (nee Rowand) built their home, christened Deer Lodge, where the Deer Lodge Hospital stands today, and it was a real hub of pioneer social activity — the McKays’ new year’s party attracted people from long distances.

Between 1882 and 1907 (when it burned down), Homer Chadwick operated the Deer Lodge Hotel, commonly known as Chad’s Place, in the grand home. Patrons even enjoyed the company of Chad’s bear, a great brown bear who had originally belonged to the McKays.

In 1916, the site became home to a hospital for First World War veterans. The facility was opened by the Duke of Connaught (son of Queen Victoria) and his family. Royal visits in 1959, 1970, 1999, and 2016 have included visits to Deer Lodge Hospital. Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Princess Anne, and the Countess of Wessex have visited the hospital.

In the 1940s, Deer Lodge held the first documented wheelchair sports competition anywhere in Canada. Deer Lodge was also Canada’s first geriatric day hospital. These days it is a 418-bed rehabilitation and long-term care facility, run by the province of Manitoba and providing priority access to veterans.

Despite Deer Lodge Hospital being a meeting place for people and families, Winnipeg’s new Transit Plan does not recognize this reality. The 22 bus, which runs from Polo Park to Unicity is the only bus that stops in front of the hospital. The nearest Blue rapid transit service stop to the east is 400 metres away, while the nearest stop to the west is at Mount Royal Road — 800 metres away. To get service to the front of the hospital, transit users must transfer at Polo Park or in East St. James. A walk of 400 metres (4.33 football fields) from Overdale is simply impossible for some people with mobility issues. The walk from the Blue Stop at Mount Royal+ Portage east to the Hospital is 800 metres. (These figures were provided by Murray Dufton, vice president of the St. James Assiniboia 55-plus Centre.)

Why can’t the Blue route make an additional stop at the existing bus stop in front Deer Lodge hospital? The Blue route runs from early morning until late at night, even on Sundays. Their frequency is about 1 every 6 minutes.

In addition to Deer Lodge Hospital, corner of Woodlawn and Portage is also home to the Movement Disorder Clinic, which opened in 2006 in the building that once housed the Women’s Tribute Lodge.

The time has come for Winnipeg Transit to provide proper transit for this corner.