In the 1970s construction in west Winnipeg was booming. While St. James had commercial activities all way from Polo Park to Headingley, it was often confined to Portage Avenue. Throughout the 1960s, some neighbourhoods closer to the river were developed but was possible to drive out west and literally see the bald prairie in many places even in the 1970s. The Charleswood Bridge would not be built until 1995.
For more than 30 years, the former Birchwood Inn has been the Holiday Inn Airport West. Prior to Birchwood when it was first built in 1976 and was called the Wandlyn Inn. It only stayed that with name till 1977. The hotel had been built atop Birchwood Bowl and the bowling alley was part of the hotel for decades. The Birchwood name was hard to lose.
The Ladco Company built the hotel along with several of the apartment blocks along Portage in the 1970s, They still own the hotel today. At fourteen floors with three floors of balconies facing west, the hotel was a landmark. As the avenue curved, it was in a very prominent spot to be seen travelling west or east.
When the Charleswood Bridge was built, it became even more important on both sides of the river for banquets, relatives and out of town guests. Just prior to the pandemic, the hotels had conducted $11 million in renovations. In 2025, they expect $4 to $5 million more in upgrades.
One of the things that will have to replaced is signage. The Holiday Inn signage is done. The affiliation has changed to Best Western but part of the group that allows local hotel owners some individuality. With long term employees who have been working for decades, the hotel certainly feels like it. At the moment a temporary a temporary sign with Birchwood Inn over the doors.
A hotel the size of the Birchwood has about 130 employees. The amount of banquets and meetings hosted in the hotels has become part of the fabric of St. James/Charleswood. Hockey banquets, political debates, weddings have all been part of the 9000 square feet of activities in the hotel.
The next few years will see major residential building along Portage Avenue. The reason is that many retail businesses are going online and the density along a major street like Portage. There will be still be places that can't do online such as medical, dental, fitness, restaurants and convenience and grocery stores. However, retail stores are being squeezed out at everything turn so the gaps will be filled by residential units. And if there is one thing that west Winnipeg really needs is hotels. Motels just don't have the capacity for meetings that hotels do. The fact that the Birchwood is investing millions to be around the next decades is a good thing.
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