Transcona, Winnipeg

Transcona is a suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, located about 10 kilometres (6 miles) east of the downtown area. Until 1972 it was a separate municipality, having been incorporated first as the Town of Transcona on 6 April 1912 [2] and then as the City of Transcona in 1961. Today it is represented by the Transcona city ward, represented by a member of Winnipeg City Council, and, with much larger boundaries including large areas that were part of the Municipality of North Kildonan, much of the area west of Plessis, the Transcona neighbourhood cluster. It is primarily a working class residential area with some light industry.

This article is about the neighbourhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba. For the electoral district, see Transcona (electoral district).
Transcona
Incorporated as a Town1912
Incorporated as a City1961
Government
 • MPDaniel Blaikie
 • MLANello Altomare
 • CouncillorShawn Nason
Area
 • City28.8 km2 (11.1 sq mi)
 • Land20.8 km2 (8.0 sq mi)
 • Metro
5,306.79 km2 (2,048.96 sq mi)
Elevation232 m (761 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • City36,280
 • Density1,300/km2 (3,300/sq mi)
 • Metro
778,489
Demonym(s)Transconans
Time zoneUTC-6
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5
Area code(s)Area codes 204 and 431
The Transcona Historical Museum is in the former Bank of Toronto building.

History

Transcona was founded in 1909 as the site of the repair shops for the Grand Trunk Pacific and National Transcontinental Railways.[3] Its name is derived from combining Transcontinental with Strathcona, the name of Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona, a former Manitoban who was instrumental in building the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today the Canadian National Railway is still a major employer in the community. CNR 2747 a Class N-5-c, 2-8-0 steam locomotive on display at the corner of Plessis Road and Kildare Avenue in the Kiwanis Park courtesy of the Winnipeg Railway Museum. The locomotive is the first steam locomotive built in 1926, totally at CNR Transcona Shops.

Timeline

1907 - Canadian Pacific builds additional railway tracks near district in the Municipality of Kildonan (CPR)

1908 - Grand Trunk Pacific (GTP) decides on Transcona as location for railway shops and buys 800 acres (3.2 km2) of land. Name of Transcona adopted for future town. Townsite was originally to be created in what is now the South Transcona area, but this area was low lying and subject to flooding so main townsite was moved north of shops.

1909 - Haney, Quinlan and Robertson start work on excavation for the foundation of the new shops

1910 (January 1) - first steel pillar is raised in the new shop building, and the post office opened

1911 (February 10) - first Board of Trade is organized.

1912 (April 6) - Town of Transcona receives its charter, and on November 12 Municipal offices and Fire Hall opened for Public Inspection. The first electric light and power installed from Pointe du Bois generating station of Winnipeg Hydro. Central School officially opened but classes do not begin until 1913.

1913 (January 18) - GTP shops opened, on April 10 Mayor Transcona presents Morley Donaldson, Vice-President of GTP, with golden key as memento of shop opening. CPR builds grain elevator and opens yards near Transcona in the Municipality of Springfield and the Municipality of Kildonan. In October, the grain elevator tilts due to failure of its foundations, becoming a textbook example of the importance of soil mechanics. It is later restored.[4]

1914 - Sewage system installed

1915-1918 - GTP shops engaged in manufacture of munitions

1919 - Shoal Lake water connection for Town. Transcona athletic organization

1919 - Biggest sports field in Transcona's history held

1921 - Having run out of money, the town council dissolves, and the town is run until 1928 by provincially-appointed administrators[5]

1926 - First locomotive built in CNR shops

CNR 2747 was the first locomotive built in Western Canada, completed in the Transcona shop in April 1926. Since May 1960 it has been on permanent display in Kiwanis Park, Transcona [6]

1929 - New post office built

1930 - Transcona Horticultural Society organized

1933 - Effects of the Great Depression hit Transcona. At the peak the town is paying the rent for 192 families.[7]

1942 - HMCS Transcona is commissioned, a Bangor-class minesweeper named for the town. The vessel participates in anti-submarine combat in the North Atlantic in December 1944.[8]

1950 - The Red River floods. Some Winnipeg residents are temporarily sheltered in Transcona churches.

1961 - Becomes City of Transcona

1972 - Amalgamated with the City of Winnipeg along with 11 other communities[9]

Geography and population

In 2016, Transcona was home to 36,280 people. Though the majority of the area consists of houses built several decades ago, there are newer developments located in the east and northwest sections of the community including Canterbury Park, Lakeside Meadows, and Mission Gardens. Transcona's future expansion is limited by the presence of the Red River Floodway and the Perimeter Highway.

Education and government

Transcona is part of the Elmwood-Transcona federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons by Daniel Blaikie of the New Democratic Party of Canada. In the Manitoba Legislature, the representatives are Daryl Reid and partly by Bidhu Jha, of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba.

In 1959, the Transcona-Springfield School Division was created, supported jointly by the Town of Transcona and the Rural Municipality of Springfield for high school education only, and administered by a School Board of nine officials. The Transcona School District No. 39 remained for elementary and junior high students. The School Division and Transcona School District merged in 1967.[10] In 2002, the Transcona part of the former Transcona-Springfield School Division and the River East School Division were united as the River East Transcona School Division.

Elementary schools
  • Bernie Wolfe Community School
  • Ecole Centrale (Winnipeg)
  • Ecole Margaret-Underhill
  • Harold Hatcher Elementary School
  • Joseph Teres School
  • Radisson School
  • Wayoata Elementary School
  • Westview Elementary School (Winnipeg)
  • St. Joseph The Worker School

Middle schools
  • Arthur Day Middle School
  • Bernie Wolfe Community School
  • Ecole Regent Park School
  • John W. Gunn Middle School

High schools

French-immersion schools

Notable people

The neighbourhood has produced several celebrities, including sports commentator Rod Black, former MuchMusic on-air personality Bradford How, Canadian athlete and cancer research activist Terry Fox, professional wrestler Kenny Omega, and Olympic speed skater Susan Auch.

In 2005, following in the style of CBC's The Greatest Canadian series, the Transcona Historical Museum sponsored their own local version called "The Greatest Transconian." The award was given to citizen Paul Martin.[11] Mr. Martin was a Second World War veteran with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, a long-serving City Councillor, former Mayor of Transcona (1958-1959), and member of the School Board. He was influential in creating the Transcona Historical Museum.[12]

Professional wrestler Kenny Omega (born Tyson Smith) was born and raised in Transcona, and in 2018 became the first Canadian-born IWGP Heavyweight Champion in the title's history. This follows a career in Japanese professional wrestling that includes a number of championship wins across weight classes.

Sport and recreation

Transcona is the home of Football Manitoba sports team the Transcona Nationals which has age groups ranging from 7 to 21.

Three major community clubs and two indoor arenas can be found in the neighbourhood. Park City West, Oxford Heights, and East End Community Clubs organize a variety of recreational activities, while East End and Roland Michener arenas host most on-ice activities.

From 1983 to September 10, 2011, Transcona was represented by the Transcona Railers Hockey team in the MMJHL who played out of the Roland Michener Arena. They were disbanded because the team found it hard to draw players of the required skill levels and numbers. A team of railers alumni applied for membership into the MMJHL. On January 7, 2012, the league board accepted the new Transcona franchise for the 2012-2013 season. The new team plays at the newly renovated east end arena in the new side of the building.

Team Founded League Arena Championships
Transcona Railers 1983–2011 MMJHL Rolland Mitchener arena 3
Transcona Railer Express 2012 MMJHL East End Arena 0
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See also

References
  1. "Elevation at Transcona". earthtools.org.
  2. http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/municipalities/transcona.shtml
  3. http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/13/transconatour.shtml A Trip through Time in Transcona, retrieved 10 November 2010; http://winnipeginfocus.winnipeg.ca/transcona-man (City of Winnipeg Archives, accessed 3 March 2018)
  4. Alexander M. Puzrin, E. E. Alonso, Núria Pinyol Geomechanics of Failures, Springer, 2010 ISBN 90-481-3530-3, pp. 68-74
  5. http://winnipeginfocus.winnipeg.ca/transcona-man, accessed 3 March 2018
  6. http://www.wpgrailwaymuseum.com/loco-2747.html Winnipeg Railway Museum retrieved 2012 Jan 06
  7. http://www.mmcalumni.ca/v2/docs/ol/Transcona/transcona1930.pdf Transcona Council History 1930-1939 retrieved 2010 Nov 10
  8. Michael L. Hadley, U-Boats Against Canada: German Submarines in Canadian Waters, pages 260-264
  9. Worobec, Jim (December 31, 1971). "Transcona Gets Railway's Name". Winnipeg Free Press. p. 17.
  10. Shipley, Nan (1983). From Slate to Computer: In the Transcona-Springfield Area 1873–1983. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: Transcona-Springfield School Division No.12. pp. 363–364.
  11. "Past Exhibits". Transcona Historical Museum. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  12. Martin, Paul E. (1995). In Awe With Life. Canada.

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