Transcona, Winnipeg

The Transcona Historical Museum is in the former Bank of Toronto building.

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 in 1912 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 suburb with some light industry.

History

Transcona was founded in 1909 as the site of the repair shops for the Grand Trunk Pacific and National Transcontinental Railways.[1] 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 totally in the west at CNR Transcona Shops in 1926.

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 - On January 1 the first steel pillar is raised in the new shop building, and the Post Office opened.

1911 - On February 10 the first Board of Trade is organized.

1912 - On April 6 the 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 - On 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.[2]

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 by administrators from the province until 1927.[3]

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 [4]

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.[5]

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.[6]

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.

Geography and population

Transcona was home to 30,540 residents in 2011 (source Statistics Canada) and is continuing to expand. 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 development is limited by the presence of the Red River Floodway and the Perimeter Highway located immediately to the east of the built-up area.

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. School Division No.12 was a joint amalgamation between the town of Transcona and the Municipality of Springfield for high school education only, a School Board of nine officials overlooked the joint amalgamation. The Transcona School District No. 39 remained for elementary and junior high students. The Municipality of Springfield School District and the Transcona School District completely merged in 1967.[7] 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

Middle schools

High schools

French-immersion schools

Notable people

The neighbourhood has produced several minor celebrities, including sports commentator Rod Black, former MuchMusic on-air personality Bradford How, Canadian athlete and cancer research activist Terry Fox, pro 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 Greatest Transconian award was given to citizen Paul Martin.[8] Mr. Martin is a World War II veteran with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, a long serving City Councillor, former Mayor of Transcona, member of the School Board, and was influential in creating the Transcona Historical Museum.[9]

Sport and recreation

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

Three major community clubs and two indoor arenas can be found within 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 up until September 10, 2011, Transcona was represented by the Transcona Railers Hockey team in the MMJHL who play 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.

Team Founded League Arena Championships
Transcona Railers 1983 MMJHL Roland Michener Arena 3

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/13/transconatour.shtml A Trip through Time in Transcona, retrieved 2010 Nov 10
  2. ↑ Alexander M. Puzrin, E. E. Alonso, Núria Pinyol Geomechanics of Failures, Springer, 2010 ISBN 90-481-3530-3, pp. 68-74
  3. ↑ http://www.mmcalumni.ca/v2/docs/ol/Transcona/transcona1920.pdf Transcona Council History 1920-1929 retrieved 2010 Nov 10
  4. ↑ http://www.wpgrailwaymuseum.com/loco-2747.html Winnipeg Railway Museum retrieved 2012 Jan 06
  5. ↑ http://www.mmcalumni.ca/v2/docs/ol/Transcona/transcona1930.pdf Transcona Council History 1930-1939 retrieved 2010 Nov 10
  6. ↑ Michael L. Hadley, U-Boats Against Canada: German Submarines in Canadian Waters, pages 260-264
  7. ↑ Shipley, Nan (1983). From Slate to Computer: In the Transcona-Springfield Area 1873-1983. Winnipeg, Canada: Transcona-Springfield School Division No.12. pp. 363–364.
  8. ↑ "Past Exhibits". Transcona Historical Museum. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  9. ↑ Martin, Paul E. (1995). In Awe With Life. Canada.

Coordinates: 49°53′44″N 97°00′19″W / 49.89556°N 97.00528°W / 49.89556; -97.00528

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