Living life on the Wild side

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/07/2011 (5169 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In 2003, it took urban planner Don Armstrong exactly 10 minutes to seal the deal on a new house in Wildwood Park.

Until that moment, Armstrong and his wife had looked at more than 100 properties, and made 10 unsuccessful bids, in River Heights and Fort Garry.

“Finally, one night, I asked my wife where she’d really like to live. We went for a drive through the park and happened to see someone about to hammer in a private for sale sign on their property. After a whirlwind 10-minute tour, we signed the agreement on hood of the car. It was love at first sight,” he said.

Nine years later, Armstrong says the love affair is still going strong thanks to the benefits of being immersed in a uniquely planned and designed community, which is bordered by the Wildewood Club and St. John’s-Ravenscourt School.

Nestled near the Red River in Fort Garry and divided into sections A to J, Wildwood is modelled on the town of Radburn, N.J. and was developed just after the Second World War.

Based on the ideas of Ebenezer Howard and Sir Patrick Geddes and the English Garden City model, planners Clarence Stein and Henry Wright wanted to create a pedestrian-focused community using affordable, prefabricated houses.

One of the significant differences between Wildwood and other Winnipeg neighbourhoods is the fact that it features a central green space and no front roads. Communal walkways, playgrounds and parks define its core. The only concession to traffic-free living is back lanes, which are served by surrounding roads.

“Essentially, after the Industrial Revolution in England, there were a large number of people moving into cities, so these planners wanted to design a community that preached comfortable, affordable living and nature,” Armstrong said.

“They believed that in order to move forward, you had to progress with nature.”

Armstrong, who lives in Section H, noted that nature has a massive influence on the Wildwood community, as he spotted a wild turkey going about its business, while on a Sunday morning stroll through the community, which is home to hundreds of species of wildlife.

“It’s personally satisfying to know there is a refuge for nature in the community. Whether it’s on the golf course, or by the riverbank, there are raccoons, squirrels, foxes and bird life. These characters in our park have a safe haven,” Armstrong said.

And it’s the special character of Wildwood itself that Armstrong says has vastly improved the quality of his life.

“There’s no doubt that returning home to the community from being in the city immediately affects your feeling of well-being. The ability to walk around freely is very calming,” Armstrong said.

Another long-term resident was attracted to the area 20 years ago because it offered a good environment in which to raise young kids.

“You feel like you’re in a different place. With the trees and the forest, it’s the closest thing to being in the wild,” said writer and broadcaster Peter Jordan.

Jordan said living in Wildwood sometimes magnifies the day-to-day trappings of modern life.  

“We’re so insulated in our cars and offices are climate-controlled. It’s such a contrast compared to the natural world,” Jordan said. “I love getting up in the morning and seeing the wild turkeys. Winnipeggers get so nutty in the summertime, we sometimes need a walk in the forest to get our perspective back.”

Jordan — known for his work on CBC’s It’s a Living television series — praised the work of local community groups such as Wildwood Into Tomorrow. WIT’s mandate is to preserve the character and dignity of the park.

He said a recent, head-to-head community meeting with MTS Allstream officials who want put a cellular transmission tower near the Wildwood Community Centre showed the passion of the people.

“This issue is a legacy battle against putting something in an inappropriate place. I think people here, in general, are very protective of their unique community,” he said.  

Resident, Corinne Larsen, said the collective strength of the Wildwood community reminds her of strong neighbourhood values — a sensibility she wants to fight to preserve.

“There’s a strong sense of community here. It’s like going back in time a little bit, as we’re all looking out for one another,” she said.

Larsen is a committee member of Wildwood Into Tomorrow, which has held several focus groups and distributed surveys throughout the community.

“Our mandate is to be aware that Wildwood Park is always evolving. There are still a few original residents, but also lots of younger families coming in,” she said.

“One concern is transportation. The park was designed for one car per family, but now some households have two or three. We are looking into the future and aiming to preserve it,” Larsen said.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com