Wolseley, Manitoba
Encyclopedia
Wolseley is a residential area in Winnipeg, Manitoba
, Canada
, located in the west central part of the city. It is named for Field Marshal
Sir Garnet Wolseley, a British Army officer who came to Manitoba
in 1870 to suppress the Red River Rebellion
.
in 1882. It was developed primarily between 1905 and 1930 as a middle and upper middle class residential area.
Wolseley was home to an amusement park for several years before it closed permanently in 1909. Happyland included a 90-metre Doric-style entrance, a roller coaster, ballroom, Japanese tea gardens, Ferris wheel
, and a 240-metre circular swing.
Beginning in the 1950s, Wolseley began to deteriorate as many upper middle class families left the area to settle in Winnipeg's suburbs. Many of the lovely homes were subdivided into rooming houses. In the 1970s and '80s, the large houses, central location, and low real estate prices enticed many young people to return to Wolseley. This new Wolseley generation were largely artistic and socially active young adults who began rejuvenating and gentrifying the area. During this time, the area became affectionately known as "The Granola Belt". Today, Wolseley is once again seen as a desirable residential area, and is one of the most intact pre-1930 residential areas in Canada
.
A community history, Rising to the Occasion, covering the neighbourhoods of Wolseley, West Broadway, and Armstrong's Point, was published in 2000 as a millennium project of the Robert A. Steen Community Centre.
, on the west by Omand's Creek, on the north by Portage Avenue and on the east by Maryland Street. The electoral district named 'Wolseley
' has wider boundaries to the north and west, and includes parts of the West End
and St. James
.
The area has a population of 7,830, of which 7.2% reported Aboriginal origin and 4.8% were visible minorities. The average household income is $47,106 or about 89% of the Winnipeg average. Fifty-six percent of dwellings in the area are owned, while 44% are rented. (Statistics Canada - 2001 Census).
It is locally famous for the "Wolseley Elm," a prominent neighbourhood tree which was threatened with destruction in 1957 but which was spared due to the efforts of several neighbourhood women.
Businesses in Wolseley's small shopping district on Westminster Avenue cater to the politically and socially active nature of Wolseley residents. Businesses include a couple of organic food
marts and small bakery, bookstore, used clothing store, and yoga
shop. Harvest Collective - an organic food buying collective - ran as a not-for-profit organizaiton for about three decades.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, 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...
, located in the west central part of the city. It is named for Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Sir Garnet Wolseley, a British Army officer who came to Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
in 1870 to suppress the Red River Rebellion
Red River Rebellion
The Red River Rebellion or Red River Resistance was the sequence of events related to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Settlement, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba.The Rebellion was the first crisis...
.
History
The area that is now called Wolseley was originally part of the Parish of St. James, and was annexed into the City of WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
in 1882. It was developed primarily between 1905 and 1930 as a middle and upper middle class residential area.
Wolseley was home to an amusement park for several years before it closed permanently in 1909. Happyland included a 90-metre Doric-style entrance, a roller coaster, ballroom, Japanese tea gardens, Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
, and a 240-metre circular swing.
Beginning in the 1950s, Wolseley began to deteriorate as many upper middle class families left the area to settle in Winnipeg's suburbs. Many of the lovely homes were subdivided into rooming houses. In the 1970s and '80s, the large houses, central location, and low real estate prices enticed many young people to return to Wolseley. This new Wolseley generation were largely artistic and socially active young adults who began rejuvenating and gentrifying the area. During this time, the area became affectionately known as "The Granola Belt". Today, Wolseley is once again seen as a desirable residential area, and is one of the most intact pre-1930 residential areas in 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...
.
A community history, Rising to the Occasion, covering the neighbourhoods of Wolseley, West Broadway, and Armstrong's Point, was published in 2000 as a millennium project of the Robert A. Steen Community Centre.
Area and population
Wolseley, as a socially defined community, is bounded on the south by the Assiniboine RiverAssiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
, on the west by Omand's Creek, on the north by Portage Avenue and on the east by Maryland Street. The electoral district named 'Wolseley
Wolseley (electoral district)
Wolseley is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created by redistribution in 1957, and has formally existed since the 1958 provincial election. The riding is located in the centre of the City of Winnipeg. It is named for Col...
' has wider boundaries to the north and west, and includes parts of the West End
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 on the east and stretches as far west as St. James Street, the boundary between the old City of Winnipeg and St. James-Assiniboia...
and St. James
St. James-Assiniboia
St. James-Assiniboia is a major district in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Located in the far western part of the city, it is bounded on the north by the Rural Municipality of Rosser and the Canadian National Railway's Oak Point line, on the south by the Assiniboine River, on the west by the Rural...
.
The area has a population of 7,830, of which 7.2% reported Aboriginal origin and 4.8% were visible minorities. The average household income is $47,106 or about 89% of the Winnipeg average. Fifty-six percent of dwellings in the area are owned, while 44% are rented. (Statistics Canada - 2001 Census).
It is locally famous for the "Wolseley Elm," a prominent neighbourhood tree which was threatened with destruction in 1957 but which was spared due to the efforts of several neighbourhood women.
Businesses in Wolseley's small shopping district on Westminster Avenue cater to the politically and socially active nature of Wolseley residents. Businesses include a couple of organic food
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
marts and small bakery, bookstore, used clothing store, and yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
shop. Harvest Collective - an organic food buying collective - ran as a not-for-profit organizaiton for about three decades.