Westmount, Saskatoon
Encyclopedia
Westmount is an older inner city
neighbourhood located near the centre of Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
, Canada
. It mostly consists of low-density, single detached dwellings. As of 2009, the area is home to 2,232 residents. The neighbourhood is considered a lower-income area, with an average family income of $44,729, an average dwelling value of $162,491 and a home ownership rate of 68.9%.
The neighbourhood appeared on a surveyors' map in 1911. The current boundaries of Westmount include some of an area called Ruskin Place, which appears on a 1913 map of registered subdivisions.
Westmount School was opened on April 3, 1913. It was designed by architect David Webster
, who designed six of Saskatoon's Collegiate Gothic style elementary schools between 1910 and 1914. E.D. Feehan High School was opened in 1967, and named in honour of Edward Daniel Feehan, a former superintendent of separate schools in Saskatoon. It is designated a bilingual English and Ukrainian school, and also has classes in Cree and Spanish.
McMillan Avenue, which forms part of Westmount's western boundary, is named for Frank MacMillan. He was a Toronto businessman who moved to Saskatoon, owned several successful businesses, and built several landmark buildings downtown. He would serve as Saskatoon's mayor and later a Member of Parliament.
Development prior to 1927 was haphazard, which sometimes resulted in irregularity between neighbourhood streets between Westmount and Caswell Hill. In 1927, the first formal town planning board was established. Westmount was zoned Residence A District, which limited development to one and two-family houses of no more than two-and-a-half storeys.
In its recent history, Westmount has become a lower-income inner city neighbourhood. It and other core neighbourhoods have been the recipients of affordable housing and community economic development initiatives to improve the lives of residents.
of the Conservative Party of Canada
, first elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2011.
Provincially, the area overlaps two constituencies. The south part lies within the constituency of Saskatoon Centre
. It is currently represented by David Forbes
of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
(NDP), first elected in 2001in a 2001 by-election and re-elected 2003 and 2007. The south part lies within the constituency of Saskatoon Massey Place
. It is currently represented by Cam Broten
of the NDP, elected in 2007.
In Saskatoon's non-partisan municipal politics, Westmount lies within ward 4. It is currently represented by Councillor Myles Heidt. He was first elected to council in 1994, and re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006 & 2009.
The Westmount Community Association works to enhance the quality of life for its residents. It promotes and coordinates leisure programs and social activities, and provides a voice for the community on issues of local concern. A number of seasonal programs are offered at Westmount Community School, also the site of the outdoor rink.
. 35 home-based businesses are also based in the neighbourhood.
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
neighbourhood located near the centre of Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It mostly consists of low-density, single detached dwellings. As of 2009, the area is home to 2,232 residents. The neighbourhood is considered a lower-income area, with an average family income of $44,729, an average dwelling value of $162,491 and a home ownership rate of 68.9%.
History
The area that now makes up Westmount was settled by homesteaders in 1884, as the east bank settlement of Saskatoon struggled for survival. A settler named Archibald L. Brown was one such landowner, owning a section of land where Westmount School would later be built. The neighbourhood was within the city limits when the City of Saskatoon incorporated in 1906. At that time it was the city's northwest corner, hence the name. The streets in Westmount are named for early settlers of the Saskatoon area, and most of the houses were built prior to 1960.The neighbourhood appeared on a surveyors' map in 1911. The current boundaries of Westmount include some of an area called Ruskin Place, which appears on a 1913 map of registered subdivisions.
Westmount School was opened on April 3, 1913. It was designed by architect David Webster
David Webster (architect)
David Webster was a Scottish-Canadian architect best known for his designs of elementary schools in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. His school designs were often in a Collegiate Gothic style emphasizing a central tower, locally referred to as a "castle style"...
, who designed six of Saskatoon's Collegiate Gothic style elementary schools between 1910 and 1914. E.D. Feehan High School was opened in 1967, and named in honour of Edward Daniel Feehan, a former superintendent of separate schools in Saskatoon. It is designated a bilingual English and Ukrainian school, and also has classes in Cree and Spanish.
McMillan Avenue, which forms part of Westmount's western boundary, is named for Frank MacMillan. He was a Toronto businessman who moved to Saskatoon, owned several successful businesses, and built several landmark buildings downtown. He would serve as Saskatoon's mayor and later a Member of Parliament.
Development prior to 1927 was haphazard, which sometimes resulted in irregularity between neighbourhood streets between Westmount and Caswell Hill. In 1927, the first formal town planning board was established. Westmount was zoned Residence A District, which limited development to one and two-family houses of no more than two-and-a-half storeys.
In its recent history, Westmount has become a lower-income inner city neighbourhood. It and other core neighbourhoods have been the recipients of affordable housing and community economic development initiatives to improve the lives of residents.
Government and politics
Westmount exists within the federal electoral district of Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar. It is currently represented by Kelly BlockKelly Block
Kelly Block is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar in the 2008 Canadian federal election. She is a member of the Conservative Party. Block was appointed to the Procedure and House Affairs Committee and the Access to Information,...
of the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
, first elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2011.
Provincially, the area overlaps two constituencies. The south part lies within the constituency of Saskatoon Centre
Saskatoon Centre
Saskatoon Centre is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is one of 12 districts covering the province's largest city, Saskatoon.-Members of the Legislative Assembly:-Electoral history:...
. It is currently represented by David Forbes
David Forbes (politician)
David Forbes is a Canadian provincial politician. He is currently the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Saskatoon Centre.He serrves as the Opposition critic for Social Services, Disabilities, Housing and the CBO...
of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It currently forms the official opposition, but has been a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics since the 1940s...
(NDP), first elected in 2001in a 2001 by-election and re-elected 2003 and 2007. The south part lies within the constituency of Saskatoon Massey Place
Saskatoon Massey Place
Saskatoon Massey Place is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada. This district includes the neighbourhoods of Dundonald, Caswell Hill, Massey Place, Hampton Village, Westview, and Hudson Bay Park....
. It is currently represented by Cam Broten
Cam Broten
Cameron Broten is a Canadian politician. He was elected to represent the constituency of Saskatoon Massey Place in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 2007 provincial election. Former NDP leader Lorne Calvert appointed Broten as the Official Opposition critic for advanced education...
of the NDP, elected in 2007.
In Saskatoon's non-partisan municipal politics, Westmount lies within ward 4. It is currently represented by Councillor Myles Heidt. He was first elected to council in 1994, and re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006 & 2009.
Education
- Westmount Community School - public elementary, part of the Saskatoon Public School DivisionSaskatoon Public School DivisionSaskatoon Public Schools is the largest school system in Saskatoon and is the second largest in Saskatchewan.Saskatoon Public Schools has approximately 22,000 students with 44 elementary schools and 9 high schools. The offices of the Saskatoon School Board are housed in the Eaton's Building. ...
. - E. D. Feehan Catholic High SchoolE. D. Feehan Catholic High SchoolE. D. Feehan Catholic High School is a Catholic high school on the west side of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, in the neighborhood known as Caswell Hill. It falls under the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division...
- Catholic secondary school, part of the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School DivisionGreater Saskatoon Catholic School DivisionGreater Saskatoon Catholic School Division is Saskatchewan’s largest Catholic school division. The Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division has approximately 15,000 students in 44 schools located in Saskatoon and surrounding rural districts. St. Pauls R.C.S.S.D No. 20 belongs to Department of...
.
Other
- Oliver Lodge - Special care home, created by the United ChurchUnited Church of CanadaThe United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
in 1949.
Parks and recreation
- Westmount Park - 2.9 acres (1.2 ha)
- Pierre Radisson Park - 3.6 acres (1.5 ha)
- Leif Erickson Park - 13.2 acres (5.3 ha)
- Scott Park - 14.6 acres (5.9 ha)
The Westmount Community Association works to enhance the quality of life for its residents. It promotes and coordinates leisure programs and social activities, and provides a voice for the community on issues of local concern. A number of seasonal programs are offered at Westmount Community School, also the site of the outdoor rink.
Commercial
Businesses in Westmount are almost exclusively located along 22nd Street22nd Street (Saskatoon)
22nd Street is an arterial road in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It starts out as 22nd Street East in the Central Business District. Going west it passes the Midtown Plaza and TCU Place. At the intersection with Idylwyld Drive, it becomes 22nd Street West...
. 35 home-based businesses are also based in the neighbourhood.