East Kildonan was only a separate city between 1957 and 1972 but that was a period of tremendous growth in and around the City of Winnipeg, according to Jim Smith of the North East Winnipeg Historical Society.
In 1914 when the Municipality of Kildonan split into the rural municipalities of West and East Kildonan. Old Kildonan split off from West Kildonan in 1921 and North Kildonan split from East Kildonan in 1925.
East Kildonan’s council was the driving force behind becoming a city in 1957, Smith said. It became the fourth city in the area, following Winnipeg, St. Boniface and St. James.
“Because the population was close to 20,000, they (pursued) city status, they weren’t really a rural municipality any more,” Smith said.
There was some trouble before the change, Smith said. The original idea was to name East Kildonan the City of Kildonan, but Old Kildonan, North Kildonan and West Kildonan all objected, with West Kildonan being the most vociferous.
A compromise was worked out with East Kildonan accepted by all parties. The next step was to make it legal, which at the time required the introduction of a private member’s bill. Russ Paulley, the MLA for Kildonan-Transcona and future leader of the Manitoba NDP, had the honours.
Then it was time for a party, which was scheduled for Dominion Day — July 1 — 1957. Organizers went all-out, Smith said. There was a beauty contest,a gym display at the East Kildonan Recreation Centre (now Melrose Community Club), a track meet, a horse meet and street dancing. A grand parade started at Melrose Avenue (now Kimberly Avenue) and Watt Street, headed south to Montrose Avenue (now Larsen Avenue) and then turned west to Henderson Highway, culminating at 951 Henderson Highway in front of what was then the A&P, which now houses an auto body shop, butcher shop and ice cream store.
“It was a big event,” Smith said. “The papers estimated there were 8,750 people in the crowd. At the time the entire population of East Kildonan was 20,000.”
East Kildonan carried some momentum at the time, Smith said. The mid-’50s saw a housing boom during which saw the 400, 500 and 600 blocks of many avenues weredeveloped, along with the area north of Munroe Avenue to Oakland Avenue and much of Morse Place. That meant roads, sewers and schools.
A few key facilities were built during the time East Kildonan was its own city, Smith said. The East Kildonan Incinerator and Centennial Park are two lasting examples.
So, too,is the Kimberly Avenue firehall, which is a scaled-down version of what could have been, Smith said.
“Originally they wanted to build a combined police and fire station but in those days they had to go to a vote of the people and the people turned it down,” Smith said.
There was another opportunity to build a signature facility that was lost in 1968.
“In 1968 there was a referendum to build a cultural centre, hockey arena and museum on the area where the Terry Sawchuk Arena is,” Smith said. “Again the people turned it down.”
Jim Smith poses with a copy of The Herald from 1957 promoting ceremonies for the incorporation of the City of East Kildonan along with a copy of the North East Winnipeg Historical Society’s latest book, available on the group’s Facebook page.
Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/8/2020 (687 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
East Kildonan was only a separate city between 1957 and 1972 but that was a period of tremendous growth in and around the City of Winnipeg, according to Jim Smith of the North East Winnipeg Historical Society.
In 1914 when the Municipality of Kildonan split into the rural municipalities of West and East Kildonan. Old Kildonan split off from West Kildonan in 1921 and North Kildonan split from East Kildonan in 1925.
East Kildonan’s council was the driving force behind becoming a city in 1957, Smith said. It became the fourth city in the area, following Winnipeg, St. Boniface and St. James.
"Because the population was close to 20,000, they (pursued) city status, they weren’t really a rural municipality any more," Smith said.
There was some trouble before the change, Smith said. The original idea was to name East Kildonan the City of Kildonan, but Old Kildonan, North Kildonan and West Kildonan all objected, with West Kildonan being the most vociferous.
A compromise was worked out with East Kildonan accepted by all parties. The next step was to make it legal, which at the time required the introduction of a private member’s bill. Russ Paulley, the MLA for Kildonan-Transcona and future leader of the Manitoba NDP, had the honours.
Then it was time for a party, which was scheduled for Dominion Day — July 1 — 1957. Organizers went all-out, Smith said. There was a beauty contest,a gym display at the East Kildonan Recreation Centre (now Melrose Community Club), a track meet, a horse meet and street dancing. A grand parade started at Melrose Avenue (now Kimberly Avenue) and Watt Street, headed south to Montrose Avenue (now Larsen Avenue) and then turned west to Henderson Highway, culminating at 951 Henderson Highway in front of what was then the A&P, which now houses an auto body shop, butcher shop and ice cream store.
"It was a big event," Smith said. "The papers estimated there were 8,750 people in the crowd. At the time the entire population of East Kildonan was 20,000."
East Kildonan carried some momentum at the time, Smith said. The mid-’50s saw a housing boom during which saw the 400, 500 and 600 blocks of many avenues weredeveloped, along with the area north of Munroe Avenue to Oakland Avenue and much of Morse Place. That meant roads, sewers and schools.
A few key facilities were built during the time East Kildonan was its own city, Smith said. The East Kildonan Incinerator and Centennial Park are two lasting examples.
So, too,is the Kimberly Avenue firehall, which is a scaled-down version of what could have been, Smith said.
"Originally they wanted to build a combined police and fire station but in those days they had to go to a vote of the people and the people turned it down," Smith said.
There was another opportunity to build a signature facility that was lost in 1968.
"In 1968 there was a referendum to build a cultural centre, hockey arena and museum on the area where the Terry Sawchuk Arena is," Smith said. "Again the people turned it down."
Jim Smith poses with a copy of The Herald from 1957 promoting ceremonies for the incorporation of the City of East Kildonan along with a copy of the North East Winnipeg Historical Society’s latest book, available on the group’s Facebook page.
East Kildonan was only a separate city between 1957 and 1972 but that was a period of tremendous growth in and around the City of Winnipeg, according to Jim Smith of the North East Winnipeg Historical Society.
TONY ZERUCHA
Jim Smith poses with a copy of The Herald from 1957 promoting ceremonies for the incorporation of the City of East Kildonan along with a copy of the North East Winnipeg Historical Society’s latest book, available on the group’s Facebook page.
In 1914 when the Municipality of Kildonan split into the rural municipalities of West and East Kildonan. Old Kildonan split off from West Kildonan in 1921 and North Kildonan split from East Kildonan in 1925.
East Kildonan’s council was the driving force behind becoming a city in 1957, Smith said. It became the fourth city in the area, following Winnipeg, St. Boniface and St. James.
"Because the population was close to 20,000, they (pursued) city status, they weren’t really a rural municipality any more," Smith said.
There was some trouble before the change, Smith said. The original idea was to name East Kildonan the City of Kildonan, but Old Kildonan, North Kildonan and West Kildonan all objected, with West Kildonan being the most vociferous.
A compromise was worked out with East Kildonan accepted by all parties. The next step was to make it legal, which at the time required the introduction of a private member’s bill. Russ Paulley, the MLA for Kildonan-Transcona and future leader of the Manitoba NDP, had the honours.
Then it was time for a party, which was scheduled for Dominion Day — July 1 — 1957. Organizers went all-out, Smith said. There was a beauty contest, a gym display at the East Kildonan Recreation Centre (now Melrose Community Club), a track meet, a horse meet and street dancing. A grand parade started at Melrose Avenue (now Kimberly Avenue) and Watt Street, headed south to Montrose Avenue (now Larsen Avenue) and then turned west to Henderson Highway, culminating at 951 Henderson Hwy. in front of what was then the A&P, which now houses an auto body shop, butcher shop and ice cream store.
"It was a big event," Smith said. "The papers estimated there were 8,750 people in the crowd. At the time the entire population of East Kildonan was 20,000."
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East Kildonan carried some momentum at the time, Smith said. The mid-’50s saw a housing boom during which saw the 400, 500 and 600 blocks of many avenues weredeveloped, along with the area north of Munroe Avenue to Oakland Avenue and much of Morse Place. That meant roads, sewers and schools.
A few key facilities were built during the time East Kildonan was its own city, Smith said. The East Kildonan Incinerator and Centennial Park are two lasting examples.
So, too,is the Kimberly Avenue firehall, which is a scaled-down version of what could have been, Smith said.
"Originally they wanted to build a combined police and fire station but in those days they had to go to a vote of the people and the people turned it down," Smith said.
There was another opportunity to build a signature facility that was lost in 1968.
"In 1968 there was a referendum to build a cultural centre, hockey arena and museum on the area where the Terry Sawchuk Arena is," Smith said. "Again the people turned it down."
Tony Zerucha East Kildonan community correspondent
Tony Zerucha is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email him at tzerucha@gmail.com
While the boundaries between East Kildonan, North Kildonan, Elmwood and Transcona are unknown by many people, they are absolutely clear for Jim Smith.
Smith is the president of and historian for the North East Winnipeg Historical Society, a group dedicated to preserving the area’s history. He said a look to history can settle any arguments over where the boundaries lie.
The southern boundary between East Kildonan and Elmwood is the back lane between Harrison and Larsen Avenues; fitting because Larsen Avenue is named after Walter Peter Larsen, East Kildonan’s longest-serving mayor (they were called reeves then). who held the title from 1934-1947.
“People call that area Elmwood and that’s not accurate,” Smith said. “That is still the boundary line between the River East Transcona School Division and the Winnipeg School Division. When I read or see somebody talk about Bowman or Larsen or any of those streets and they talk about Elmwood, it’s not Elmwood.”
East Kildonan’s northern boundary is the middle of Oakland Avenue, Smith said. Draw a straight line to the Red River and you’ll roughly end up at the northern end of Frasers Grove Park.
Head east along the Pioneers Trail and follow a southern line to the back lane between Dunrobin and Helmsdale Avenues. Take a straight line to Molson Avenue and the former city boundary and that is East Kildonan.
The boundaries of neighbouring areas are also often misunderstood, Smith said. North Kildonan, for example, went as far east as Plessis Road.
“What people call Transcona, that area around Grassie Boulevard and Kildonan Place, that was never part of Transcona,” Smith said.
The boundary between Transcona and North Kildonan ran through what is now the parking lot of Kildonan Place, Smith said. The land east from the middle of Plessis Road to Gunn Road was Transcona.
“The land where the new Transcona Library is now, that wasn’t part of Transcona at all,” Smith said.
East Kildonan’s historical boundaries defined
While the boundaries between East Kildonan, North Kildonan, Elmwood and Transcona are unknown by many people, they are absolutely clear for Jim Smith.
Smith is the president of and historian for the North East Winnipeg Historical Society, a group dedicated to preserving the area’s history. He said a look to history can settle any arguments over where the boundaries lie.
The southern boundary between East Kildonan and Elmwood is the back lane between Harrison and Larsen Avenues; fitting because Larsen Avenue is named after Walter Peter Larsen, East Kildonan’s longest-serving mayor (they were called reeves then), who held the title from 1934-1947.
“People call that area Elmwood and that’s not accurate,” Smith said. “That is still the boundary line between the River East Transcona School Division and the Winnipeg School Division. When I read or see somebody talk about Bowman or Larsen or any of those streets and they talk about Elmwood, it’s not Elmwood.”
East Kildonan’s northern boundary is the middle of Oakland Avenue, Smith said. Draw a straight line to the Red River and you’ll roughly end up at the northern end of Frasers Grove Park.
Head east along the Pioneers Trail and follow a southern line to the back lane between Dunrobin and Helmsdale Avenues. Take a straight line to Molson Avenue and the former city boundary and that is East Kildonan.
The boundaries of neighbouring areas are also often misunderstood, Smith said. North Kildonan, for example, went as far east as Plessis Road.
“What people call Transcona, that area around Grassie Boulevard and Kildonan Place, that was never part of Transcona,” Smith said.
The boundary between Transcona and North Kildonan ran through what is now the parking lot of Kildonan Place, Smith said. The land east from the middle of Plessis Road to Gunn Road was Transcona.
“The land where the new Transcona Library is now, that wasn’t part of Transcona at all,” Smith said.
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