Bourkevale CC celebrates 75 years

St. James-Assiniboia

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This article was published 06/03/2024 (585 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Despite its small size, Bourkevale Community Centre, located at 100 Ferry Rd. in St. James, is a vibrant community hub — partly thanks to its walkable setting, proximity to multiple outdoor Winnipeg landmarks, such as Assiniboine Park, and its historic neighbourhood.

As it turns a new leaf, celebrating 75 years in operation, centre president Daevid Ramey is trying to bring the neighbourhood together and reconnect old friends — some of whom go as far back as the centre’s inception, for a celebratory year that will bridge generations and pay tribute to times gone by.

“We know that there are some board members from the original board that are still alive out there,” Ramey said. “Not many, but there’s a couple. And we have a whole room filled with (the names of) people who were part of teams and dance groups, and we would love to be in touch with those folks.”

“The success of the community centre is because of the hard work of all those folks that have preceded us,” he continued. “And so we, the board, the community, would love to be able to meet them, say hello, and just hear their stories.”

In 1950s Winnipeg — the decade Bourkevale came to be — community centres were born of necessity, according to the anniversary edition of the centre’s newsletter, and often became social hubs for kids longing for activities and socialization.

The clubhouse — which was funded privately by the community — wasn’t erected until three years after the centre was established in 1949. Until then, it operated solely outdoors and through a winter skate shack located on what used to be a nine-hole golf course during the summer months. Now, the space is occupied by skating and hockey rinks, a lawn bowling club, an all-seasons trail, and an off-leash dog park.

Bourkevale’s accurate anniversary won’t be until this fall, Ramey said, and the centre is set to host a full day of fun, food, and music on Oct. 19 to commemorate.

Before then, Bourkevale C.C. will invite the community to a special long table dinner — 75 tables to celebrate 75 years — along Assiniboine Avenue on June 15.

It will be a good opportunity to get people gathered and outside, Ramey said, before many leave for cottages or summer vacation.

Over the years, Bourkevale has made good strides in keeping its space accessible and current. During the winter, it offers free cross-country skiing equipment and ski rentals. It also offers public washrooms and outdoor drinking fountains year-round, and keeps itself accessible to those using active and public transportation.

In keeping with the theme of a close-knit neighbourhood, the centre was also the hub for the ‘Bourkevale 30’ campaign, which helped reduce speeds to 30 km/h on the nearby street — which is shared by vehicles and pedestrians, owing to the lack of a sidewalk.

Ramey’s love for accessible neighbourhoods is one of the reasons he moved into thet area, he said, as it was within easy walking distance of Assiniboine Park, several shops, and the community centre. He became Bourkevale president in early 2020.

“There’s something to be said about being able to walk about and actually see your neighbours versus being in your car and just driving past them,” Ramey said. “And I think that communities that are able to connect on a real person-to-person level have an advantage over communities where everyone is dependent on a vehicle to get to and fro.

“When I go to volunteer at (Bourkevale), I can just walk down the street, and that gives me the opportunity to say hello to five or six people that are also walking along the street.”

It connects people differently, he said, and brings people towards the centre — whether it be for a dance class or a community issue, such as Bourkevale 30.

‘I think that that is so important, if you’re going to build healthy, vibrant communities. You need to be able to talk to the people.”

To learn more about Bourkevale’s history and programs, visit www.bourkevale.com