West End, Winnipeg

The West End of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is a mostly residential area just west of Downtown Winnipeg. It is bordered by Route 62 (Osborne, Memorial, Colony, and Balmoral Streets) on the east and stretches as far west as St. James Street, the boundary between the old City of Winnipeg and St. James-Assiniboia. The southern boundary is the Assiniboine River and the northern boundary is Notre Dame Avenue. It includes the neighbourhoods of West Broadway, Armstrong's Point, Spence, Wolseley, St. Matthews, Daniel McIntyre, Sargent Park, and Minto.

Demographics

The area is very ethnically diverse as is evidenced by the Portuguese, Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese, East Indian and Thai restaurants that line both Ellice and Sargent Avenues. Historically the area was home to large German, Scandinavian, and Icelandic communities, though these groups are less predominant now. Visible minorities comprise about 29% of the total population and Aboriginals approximately 13%. As of the 2001 Census, the population was 35,500, which represents a decline of over 23% from the 1971 pre-Unicity figure of 46,320.

History

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. This fact, while it enhanced the area's reputation, retarded the development of a strong sense of community, and the West End is today much less well-known outside of Winnipeg than the North End. 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.

Valour Road, the residence of three recipients of the Victoria Cross in World War I, is located in the West End.

The area began a steady decline in the years following World War II as many of the more affluent families moved to Winnipeg's suburbs and much of the housing stock was converted to rooming houses and became dilapidated. Since the 1970s, parts of the area, particularly the neighbourhoods east of Arlington Street have been marked by crime. The majority of the properties in these areas are rentals with a transient population, and in the last decade prostitution has become a serious problem. Poverty is a serious problem in this part of the West End. The West Broadway neighbourhood is the poorest in the entire City of Winnipeg with an average household income of $20,923, just 40% of the average for the city, and a home ownership rate of only 6%.

Since the 1980s, attempts to revitalize these neighbourhoods have 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.

In contrast, Wolseley, Sargent Park, and Minto have experienced somewhat of a renaissance in recent years and are again seen as desirable residential locations. These areas have experienced rapid increases in property values in the last decade; in many cases values have doubled, or even tripled. Historic Armstrong's Point, with its curving, tree-lined streets, and early 20th century mansions, is one of Winnipeg's most affluent neighbourhoods, with an average household income in 2001 of $102,214. Ironically, this neighbourhood is located directly to the south of West Broadway; the contrast could not be more extreme.

Amenities

The commercial area around Polo Park Shopping Centre has expanded rapidly beginning in the 1990s with the building of dozens of big-box retail outlets, restaurants, and a major hotel. It has now supplanted Downtown Winnipeg as the city's main commercial area. The West End was home to the Winnipeg Arena until is demolition in 2006 due to the construction of the MTS Centre.

Attractions in the area include, the University of Winnipeg, Vimy Ridge Memorial Park, Omand's Creek and Park, Canad Inns Stadium, 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.

(Source for Statistics: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Canada).