The Recovery of St. James

There have been gaps in the commercial and residential retail and businesses on West Portage Avenue the last 10 years. Sometimes it is a natural cycle. Business operators start up and some run years while others just don't catch on. Some close as there is no one left in the family or employees left to carry on.

In 2026, the vacancies are filling in. A number of convenience stores focused on the ethnic community have opened up. A number of new restaurants have opened up. And more importantly apartments are under construction between Polo Park and the Perimeter. 

As the population grows and ages, the housing needs change. New people needs their first apartments and the older population doesn't need oversized houses with too much yard care. Young families are coming back to the area as houses become available and can be more affordable.

I single out St. James because there has not been this much activity in the area for decades. It is possible the area became stagnant as some landlords just held on to properties without sprucing them up. The Costco has encouraged a lot of store improvements inside and out of businesses big and small. Facades are being spruced up all over. It is easy to see why. A few retail strips have had long time vacancies and the ones that made improvements saw space filled.

It is shocking how some landlords just hoarded property for years without filling the space. Many likely didn't want to lower the rent to lease space. Obviously taxes were not high enough to encourage a change in behaviour. Whatever the reason, it is obvious things have changed. And even with slow post Covid growth and Trump causing chaos for business, there is clear indication that change is afoot.

Where there is a slow response to upgrades is the street experience the city presents. Hydro lines down Portage, no trees for the most part from Moray to the Perimeter. The two years of street repairs and some sidewalk work has not made the street nearly as walkable as it should be. Walking down the street in summer in no shade is pretty uncomfortable. Sitting outside Dreamland or Dairy Queen can be pretty hot but you can tell people want to do it!

As far as the neighbourhoods go, many are leafy green and dotted with schools and churches and lately other religions. People how much industry is located in the area west of the airport. Plus, it is very likely we will see growth on the military base and military families for a few decades now. It is what helped build St. James in the past.

Now St. James isn't the only place to see a recovery. They city has to thrive all over to succeed and we have seen several neighbourhoods go through improvements. Some of them were planned a long time ago and are only now coming onstream. Costco itself at Headingley (actually still inside city limits) is creating the most housing in the St. James area and the commercial development along with hotels is substantial. 

The upcoming city election will see numerous new councillors as many are retiring. However, even St. James could be competitive. The councillor candidates who focus on raising the livability of the community will likely make good headway. Most people won't pay attention till after the Labour Day weekend on what the future looks like. However, they will notice issues of crime and neglect. It is why areas of improvement as we have seen in St. James need to be nurtured.