West End, Winnipeg

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West End
Neighbourhood
Map of the West End area of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Country	Canada
Province	Manitoba
City	Winnipeg
Neighbourhoods	Armstrong's Point Colony Daniel McIntyre Minto Sargent Park Spence St. Matthews* West Broadway Wolseley
Population  (2011)
• Total	46,140

The West End is a mostly residential area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It includes the neighbourhoods of Armstrong's Point, Colony, , Minto, , , , , and Wolseley.

The area is bordered by Route 62 (Osborne, Memorial, Colony, and Balmoral Streets) on the east, St. James Street on the west, the Assiniboine River on the south, and Notre Dame Avenue on the north.

Demographics[]

A winter view of Sherburn Street, one of the many tree-lined streets in the West End.

In 2011, the population of the West End was 46,140.^[1]

The area is ethnically diverse. 2011 census data shows the West End as 51% Caucasian, 21% Filipino, 15% Aboriginal, 4% Black, and 9% other visible minorities.^[1] Historically, the area was home to large German, Scandinavian, and Icelandic communities.

Contrast between neighbourhoods in the West End is extreme. Armstrong's Point is one of Winnipeg's most affluent neighbourhoods with a median household income of $89,887. West Broadway is located directly north of Armstrong's Point, and has a median household income of $25,877.^[1]

Politics[]

Municipally, the West End is within the Daniel McIntyre and Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry city council wards and is represented by Cindy Gilroy and Sherri Rollins respectively.^[2]

Provincially, the electoral map of the Manitoba was redrawn in 2019.^[3] The West End is now divided into the following four electoral districts: Wolseley (Lisa Naylor, NDP), St. James (Adrien Sala, NDP), Notre Dame (Malaya Marcelino, NDP), and Union Station (Uzoma Asagwara, NDP).^[4]

Federally, the West End is within the Winnipeg Centre electoral district and is represented by Leah Gazan (NDP).^[5]

History[]

A view of the West End from the airport

The development of the West End as a residential expansion came during one of Winnipeg's largest periods of growth between 1890-1895 and 1900-1912.^[6] The area was originally a part of the Parish of St. James until the boundary of the City of Winnipeg was extended to St. James Street from Maryland Street (formerly Boundary Road) in 1882. Development of the area as a working and middle class residential area began in the late 19th century and continued through the 1920s until the area was completely built up. The area developed rapidly due to its proximity to Downtown Winnipeg, and, unlike Winnipeg's North End, the mainline of the Canadian Pacific Railway did not impose a physical barrier between the West End and Downtown. The area was also well served by the city's street railway system with lines on Portage Avenue, Sargent Avenue, Sherbrook Street, and Arlington Street. The industrial area located adjacent to the railway spur between Wall and Erin Streets provided employment for many West End residents.

The West End was considered Ward Two in the old City of Winnipeg and was seen as the "swing riding" between the affluent and conservative Ward One and overwhelmingly socialist Ward Three, which comprised the North End and Elmwood.

Parts of the area declined in the years following World War II as many families moved to Winnipeg's suburbs and some of the housing stock was converted to rooming houses and became dilapidated. During the 1970s, crime became a serious problem in portions of the West End.

Since the 1980s, a notable revitalization of the neighbourhoods has been made. Numerous urban beautification projects have been undertaken and in 1987, the West End Cultural Centre was founded in an old church at Ellice Avenue and Sherbrook Street. The venue attracts 30,000 people a year to various events, mostly musical shows. The importance of a healthy and vibrant West End to the future success of Downtown Winnipeg has also been recognized.

Much of the West End has experienced a sharp renaissance in recent years. Average home price in the West End shot up 31% faster than Winnipeg's average between the years of 2000 to 2011. During this time frame, the average value of a West End home increased 12.4% year-over-year.^[7] In contrast, the average home value in the City of Winnipeg as a whole increased 9.5% year-over-year in that same time-frame.^[8]

Amenities[]

The area includes a Commemorative Plaza and Commemorative Mural on Valour Road, which honours World War I heroes Corporal Leo Clarke, Sergeant-Major Frederick William Hall, and Lieutenant Robert Shankland, who all grew up on the same city block of Valour Road (then known as Pine Street) and each received a Victoria Cross for bravery.^[9]

The Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex, named after local 6-time Olympic medalist Cindy Klassen, is a community fitness centre. It includes a swimming pool, water slide, sauna, weight room, fitness equipment, aerobic studio, indoor running track, outdoor skatepark, lawn bowling, sports fields, and a library, as well as a speed-skating oval in the winter.^[9]

The West End also includes more than 1000 businesses and organizations in the area, including over 150 restaurants.^[10][11] Ellice Avenue, Sherbrook Street, and Sargent Avenue East of Arlington have a large variety of ethnic restaurants and markets, being home to many Philippine, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Chinese, East Indian, Somali, Ethiopian, and Thai restaurants.^{[citation needed]} Polo Park, the city's largest mall, is also considered part of the West End.^[11] The commercial area in the Polo Park district has expanded rapidly beginning in the 1990s with the building of big-box retail outlets, restaurants, and a major hotel. It has now supplanted downtown Winnipeg as the city's main commercial area.^{[citation needed]}

Other attractions in the area include, the University of Winnipeg, , Omand's Creek and Park, Westview Park, and the Sargent Park Recreation Complex, as well as many houses, apartment buildings, schools, and an armoury with significant architectural merit. Portage Avenue is the site in the summer months of the "Sunday Night Cruise" by automobile enthusiasts, which while delighting the participants, raises the ire of many West End residents due to the noise, and the all too frequent practice of drag racing.^{[citation needed]}

West End Cultural Centre[]

West End Cultural Centre
General information
Address	586 Ellice Avenue, Winnipeg, MB
Coordinates	49°53′34″N 97°09′30″W / 49.8927821°N 97.1584511°W / 49.8927821; -97.1584511
Opened	January 10, 1909 (building) 1987 (WECC)
Renovated	2008
Cost	$15,000 CAD (1909)
Renovation cost	$4 million
Design and construction
Architect	Herbert E. Matthews
Main contractor	B. Pattinson and Thomas Eilbeck
Renovating team
Architect	Prairie Architects
References
[12]

The West End Cultural Centre (WECC), established in 1987,^[13] is the area's main hub for live music. It is located on Ellice Avenue in an 80-year-old church building, and is one of the "greenest live performance venues in Canada."^[9] It receives support from the federal Department of Canadian Heritage, the Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Arts Council, , Assiniboine Credit Union, and the University of Manitoba's radio station, 101.5 UMFM.^[13]

Prior to the WECC, the building was occupied by:^[12]

• St. Matthews Church (1909-1912)
• Elim Chapel (1914-1928)
• St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (1931-1969)
• the (1973-1987)

The Portuguese Association sold the building for CA$131,000 to Winnipeg Folk Festival founder Mitch Podoluck and Ava Kobrinsky, who had the vision of opening a community performing arts space, modeled on the . Podoluck and Kobrinsky's project is what would become the West End Cultural Centre.^[12]

Murals[]

With over 50 murals, the West End has one of the largest collections of outdoor murals in the city.^[14]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to West End, Winnipeg.

• West End Business Improvement Zone

Coordinates: 49°53′41″N 97°10′20″W / 49.89472°N 97.17222°W / 49.89472; -97.17222