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 Municipality of Headingley, and on the east by the Canadian Pacific Railway's La Riviere line.[1]
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St. James-Assiniboia is a large community in the western section of Winnipeg. It is most often referred to as simply "St. James" and consists of the neighbourhoods of Old St. James, Deer Lodge, Silver Heights, Birchwood, Sturgeon Creek, Woodhaven, Heritage Park, Kirkfield Park, Westwood, Crestview, St. Charles, and Brooklands. Although Brooklands is legally a part of St. James, it is normally considered part of the West End.
It is primarily residential, and is mainly a middle class area but there are poorer pockets in the eastern part of St. James, in Brooklands, and in St. Charles, and wealthier areas near the St. Charles Country Club, and along the Assiniboine River. There is some industrial development in the Murray Industrial Park in the north central part of the neighbourhood and near the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport which is located in St. James. There is substantial commercial development along Portage Avenue, the area's main thoroughfare, and near the western edge of the community near the Perimeter Highway, where the Unicity Shopping Mall once stood. Although the Polo Park area is not considered part of St. James-Assiniboia for census purposes, it is considered part of the district of St. James on many maps.[1]
Historically, the area was a farming community along the north bank of the Assiniboine River populated by an Anglo-Métis, or mixed Scottish/English and aboriginal population, compared to the French-speaking Métis people who settled further upriver at St. François Xavier, Manitoba and along the east banks of the Red River. The area eventually became the City of St. James, the RM of Assiniboia, and the Village of Brooklands. These communities' development as residential suburbs of Winnipeg began in the early 20th century and was greatly enhanced by the extension of streetcar service to Deer Lodge in 1903, the opening of Assiniboine Park in 1904 and its location along Portage Avenue, and proximity to Downtown Winnipeg. By 1920 the eastern area of St. James and the Deer Lodge area were fully developed. The area grew rapidly from 1945-1970 with the construction of the Silver Heights and Birchwood subdivisions in the 1940s and 1950s, and Westwood, Crestview, and St. Charles in the 1960s. The three communities, just outside the City of Winnipeg, joined together in the 1960s; Brooklands was amalgamated into St. James in 1967, then Assiniboia was merged with St James in 1969 to form the City of St. James-Assiniboia.[2] In 1972, the City of St. James-Assiniboia formally joined Winnipeg in Unicity.
As the community was developed as far as the Perimeter Highway, Winnipeg's unofficial urban limit, by the early 1970s, St. James has seen very little development since that time. From 1971 to 2001 the population declined from 66,150 to 58,590 (source Statistics Canada). The population further declined to 57,855 as of the 2006 census.[3]
| Team | Founded | League | Arena | Championships* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg Saints | 1956 | MJHL | St. James Civic Centre (2011-) | 0 |
| St. James Canucks | 1978 | MMJHL | St. James Civic Centre (1978-) | 1 |
| St. James Canadians (defunct) | 1956 | MJHL | St. James Civic Centre (1967-2004) | 3 |
* refers to championships won while playing in St. James
The St. James Civic Centre is a public recreation complex that serves the west end of Winnipeg. The complex, which was built in 1967, features an indoor ice hockey arena, swimming pool, and auditorium, and is owned and operated by the City of Winnipeg.
The St. James Civic Centre arena is one of the more prominent hockey venues in Winnipeg. With a seating capacity of 1,500, it is one of the larger arenas in the city. It is home to the Winnipeg Saints of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, St. James Canucks of the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League, and local minor hockey teams. The St. James Canadians of the MJHL were one the arena's most prominent tenants for many years, playing there from its opening in 1967 until the team folded in 2004. The arena is also used for sledge hockey and ringette during the winter, as well as non-sporting activities during the summer.[4]
The pool and leisure centre includes a 25 metre swimming pool and weight room. In addition, there is a 350-seat auditorium and two meeting rooms. The facilities are available to the public year round.[5]
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