The history of Whyte Ridge, part 2

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/02/2017 (3343 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last month I described the first major development in the Whyte Ridge area as being the cement plant and the associated small community of Fort Whyte in 1911.

Further substantial development did not occur in the Whyte Ridge area for more than 60 years, triggered primarily by the formation of Unicity in 1972. This was when provincial legislation amalgamated Fort Garry and 12 other municipalities with the City of Winnipeg, which stimulated the development of suburban infrastructure.

One of the first main developments in the Whyte Ridge area was the construction of Route 90/Kenaston Boulevard from the north to McGillivray Boulevard in the late 1970s.

Initial planning concepts for the Whyte Ridge area were developed as early as 1978 but the recession in 1981 delaying planning until 1985. The initial focus was on the adjacent industrial areas in the West Fort Garry Industrial Park, along the newly constructed Scurfield Boulevard.

Construction of the Whyte Ridge subdivision began in 1986, with the East Lake and surrounding park area constructed first, and the excavated soils being used to create the large hill or “ridge.”

The first houses were built in the northeast corner of the subdivision, surrounding the lake, and by 1988 the elementary school and the Whyte Ridge Baptist church had also been constructed.

The next phase of development began around 1990 with construction of the West Lake and more housing on surrounding streets in the west of the subdivision. By 1997, there was housing development west of the rail tracks, and construction of the Henry G. Izatt  Middle School was underway.

Around this time the Whyte Ridge Shopping Centre was built, and two years later further development of the subdivision west of the rail tracks included construction of the community centre building.

By 2002 there was considerable “big box” development on either side of Kenaston, serving both Whyte Ridge and Linden Woods, and the construction of a retention pond marked the beginning of development in the Linden Ridge area. By 2004 the cul-de-sacs on the west side of Scurfield in Whyte Ridge were developed.

Noteworthy development by 2005 included the movie theatre and the completion of development in Linden Ridge. Two years later the old cement plant houses along Bessboro Street were finally replaced with development of the final portion of Whyte Ridge.

By 2011 the Kenaston Common Shopping Centre had been established. In 2014, St. Gianna’s Catholic Church and a condominium complex were constructed, with a restaurant being constructed by the movie theatre in 2015. And that should pretty much bring you up to date!

Nick Barnes is a community correspondent for Whyte Ridge.