Freshair Boutique Academy Road Suddenly Closes

Only an email gives any clue to the demise of Freshair Boutique in River Heights. It simply says it is closed immediately and their website is down. At the corner of Lanark and Academy Road, the entire street has seen change. In the strip mall itself Starbucks closed in favour of Empty Cup. Across the street, 7th Avenue Fashions closed their doors in August.

The entire Academy Road strip has seen changes since 2020. Many retirements and business changes. It might not be as recognizable to someone who hasn't been down that way in a year or two.

The strip mall itself was a former gas station till the 1970s. It is too far back for me to remember. I'm not sure what affiliation it had. Across the street was Pacific 66 which became Petro-Canada. Down the street from there was British American which became Gulf and then Petro-Canada. In all, three former gas stations became retail in that area.

Every ten years or so there is a lot of change on Academy. At one time there were three grocery stores from the 1980s on. Now there is only one and the long time 1970s till now 7/Eleven.  Who knows why Freshair closed. But it should be noted that some people who had appointments into the next months are now finding them cancelled.

Kenaston and St. James Bridge Reconstruction

The St. James Bridge is getting to the time where maintenance every year will not cut it. Much like the Arlington Bridge, it might reach a time where one if not both of the spans will be closed. Crumbling infrastructures closed the Civic Parkade and made the Public Safety Building a danger. It is a pattern with the city that something becomes completely broken and then it takes years to do something about.

The changes to the St. James Bridge alone are massive and will be in the tens of millions and likely take at least two or more years to do. It is difficult to see what the city has in mind, especially around Portage Avenue and the fire department structure. Some other work around the Viscount Gort and along Portage is a bit of a mystery as well.

As the St. James Bridge proceeds south into River Heights and Tuxedo, it actually curves west and hits a stretch where the speed drops to 50 kms. It is a narrow stretch right off the bridge and has houses on either side. A few have been bought by the city and removed but there many others that the plan calls for their removal. It appears all access roads to Kenaston from Academy to Willow will only be service roads with no turns at Route 90.

If this was the only work done for the bridge and the approaches, it would a huge job. However, the fear is that traffic would bottleneck further down Kenaston and especially as it gets to the more commercial areas further south. The Kapyong development probably has all of the planners nervous. It should. If any street looked in need of a transit corridor, it would be this one. Six lanes of traffic is what is being planned. It will be even wider at intersections further up. Moreover, it doesn't indicate what changes even further south will have to be contemplated.

There is an indication of what the cost benefit analysis shows for the road and it is pretty thin soup. It will be about only a few minutes in saved time but at $730 million plus that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. Moreover, the mayor says there is the Peguis extension that he says is also a priority. Both projects could cost $2 billion. It is hard to imagine where the money is going to come from. The federal government already commits money to the municipalities for infrastructure. The province has their own priorities which might not go to roads that cannot be sustained by the city after.

The city already spends about $100,000 a year to maintain Kenaston/Route 90. Fewer large trucks use it now that the Tuxedo Yards is no longer a container port. It is a busy stretch of road and can get bottlenecked. A big concern is that if the road is expanded that it encourages huge development just outside the perimeter. That is no idle concern. One of the last provincial government's objectives was turnpikes on the Perimeter Highway that was to facilitate exurban growth.

Part of the design as Kenaston heads south involves blocking road access except at major intersections like Corydon and Grant. At those intersections, there is considerable widening for turning lanes. Also part of the road will be berms and walls which we see in the Bridgwater section of Route 90. This has led to late night racing in past years since it seems no one is there to stop it.

Kenaston is indeed a mess the money spent might be a case of: if you build it, they will come. In other words, it could bottleneck even more and not get people to use other modes of transportation. There will be buses up and down Kenaston and in one year, the entire system of Transit will be changed. The goal is not to have to wait longer than four or five minutes for a bus. It is sure to be confusing at first and may require some adjustments along the way. However, the goal should be to increase density of residents along these routes. In other cities, use of a car is less of a need because of the consistency and safety of public transit. 

Most other cities, including American ones, are establishing light right, subways, trains and busy routes as it increasingly looks like roads cannot be expanded any further. Winnipeg has managed just one route for the Southwest Transit Corridor. The rest will probably come decades later. That's how slow the process is. It will be likely the federal government will wonder why huge amounts will be spent on roads in Winnipeg whereas Transit is low priority. 

Even before Kenaston is worked on, the First Nations will be working on the re-development of the now empty Kapyong site. It remains to be seen whether they leave one lane on either side open for road expansion while they build their hotel and conference centre. At some point road access will have to be considered. But will it be on a standard two lane road with some turning lanes. Once the development is built out to curb-side, the chance of having six lanes quickly fades.

As mentioned, there is no budget for anything to do with Kenaston or the St. James Bridge. The city will literally go cup in hand to the province and the feds and might come up empty. If they try to bear the costs themselves, they might not be able to afford anything after including repairing other falling bridges. As long as bridges like Arlington are permanently closed, it is hard to imagine not thinking about the costs of new infrastructure. 

The city is asking for a new Core Area Initiative from three levels of government for downtown but with all the requests for money being asked for by mayor and council, they seem to think tens of billions will flow to various projects. Big road projects are likely down on the list with the federal government. Even a new Conservative government next year is unlikely to be forking over billions to every municipal government with huge shopping lists. It seems unlikely the new NDP provincial government will be not so keen on two highways getting huge provincial funds either.

The only way of the above project gets money is if it is part of a public transportation component. Having a few bus stops doesn't seem to cut it. As Kapyong ramps up, the options on adding lanes might end. It may start to create some desperation at City Hall as buildings go up at the new development. However, with no budget and no fairy godmother, it is hard to see where they get the money for this.

Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster Party 1983 in River Heights

At the end of of June of 1983, the graduating class of Kelvin High School was not done. Many were headed off to university at U of W and U of M in the fall, some further afield. Some were working already. 

However, there were a few concerts to attend, a few house parties to go to, work to earn money before school and 60 days of renting Star Wars to watch.

The concerts attended. Some local acts too. Think I saw Elias, Schritt and Bell several times. 

August 27, 1983 The Police

September 14, 1983 David Bowie

I took a miss on Hall and Oates which had a reputation as one of the worst concerts in years and made fans of the group turn into critics. Smarmy was used to describe Hall at that event.

Like a lot of high school students, Kelvin kids watched the re-packaged BBC series Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which began in December of 1982 and ran through the winter of 1983. That, and a whole lot of Monty Python, Fawltey Towers and some Doctor Who gave the class a plethora of useful material to disrupt classes. 

Run away! Run Away!

What? Behind the rabbit? It iiiiisss the rabbit!

Every sperm in sacred.

Upon graduation in 1983 from Kelvin High school and the interim to what was to come next, Tom George had the Brock Street home address to himself as the parental units made a pilgrimage to the home land. The result of this was a determination to bbq and to find the formula for the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, the drink favoured at Milliways, a bar at the end of the galaxy. 

It was described as thus:

"...having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick."

At the time, there was no way to know what the recipe was. Lots of experimenting ensured.

This is what some say it is:

• 1 oz vodka (that Ol' Janx Spirit)
• 1 oz Clamato (oh, those Santraginus fish)
• 1 oz ice cold gin (Arcturan Mega-gin)
• 4 oz Zipang Sparkling Sake (Fallian marsh gas)
• 1 oz Creme de Menthe (Qalactin Hypermint extract)
• 1 Jalapeno (tooth of an Algolian Suntiger)
• Sprinkle with lemon zest (Zamphuor)
• add an olive

We used several of those ingredients minus the sake. Somehow a Tom Collins ended up being made many nights.

Regardless, a formula was devised, tickets were sold to the initial tune of $115. However, more tickets were sold at the door when supplies ran out. In the end the tally was north of $300 for a high school/university party. A punch bowl was filled, the formula made and the dress code of bathrobe and tie loosely enforced on a lovely night in July.

Tickets were printed up on Jeff Thomas' ancient printing machine along with our business cards of Angus Corporation which caused problems at the border a few times.

Angus Corporation hosted the party. Angus was Tom's dog who was more less held together by steroids and alcohol. He was a springer spaniel with perennially blood shot eyes and pissy attitude about how his dinner was prepared.

Road construction was taking place on Brock so it was a mess on the street with hundreds of students coming to Tom's house. Cars were parked down three streets.

All in all a successful event except for one neighbour who called early in the morning and got hold of Tom's brother who took the heat for the late night festivities. Tom was fast asleep. And would remain so till mid-day when we would watch Star Wars rented from Video Zone on Academy for the 17th time of 60 days of rentals.

In less than six weeks, university would start for many. I'd be off to University of Winnipeg, Tom and Jeff off to University of Manitoba and some off to work and places beyond. 

You never really think where everyone might be. For many, it would be the last time we'd all be together for those that made it.

In the end, Milliways will always be there and perhaps will be again. I have my bathrobe ready.

Leopold's Coming to Academy Road

Leopold's Tavern opened last year next to the Park Theatre on Osborne. The July 2018 opening brought the total number of restaurant/bars to nine across the prairie provinces. The vibe the bar wants is for customers to feel the place is theirs and subsequently all sorts of stuff is tacked to the walls. They advertise themselves as a dive bar but it is probably more of a friendly neighbourhood clubhouse feel.

The Regina-based company has steered away from from some more obvious choices. The Osborne location was not in the Village but being beside the Park, there was a certain synergy the two businesses could create. And they have. Both places draw people.

Academy Road is tricky place. Homeowners routinely complain about businesses on the street. It is all about parking mostly or fear of noise. There are cars in an unbroken chain from Wellington Crescent all the way to Taylor. On EVERY street. Why? It isn't generally about the businesses. It is that River Heights residents have multiple cars and most homes have one car garages. Moreover the neighbourhood has people passing through it every day as quickly as they can to go elsewhere.

Some homeowners have gone so far as to seek zoning to create a permanent residential designation to avoid any commercial development. Bowling alley landlords complain about future restaurants making noise. A furniture retailer complains about a medical clinic going up. And so it goes. The real issue is now many cars each house has in Winnipeg including River Heights.

The location that Leopold's will open has recently gotten attention and has some real curb appeal as a building. It is possible to renovations and rent increases led to Inferno's Bistro closing there. They had occupied the building for six years. Prior to that it had been J Fox's Restaurant and Local. It is a phenomenon known as luxury blight. High rent chasing away one business after another. It could explain why some businesses have moved over the years to other places or simply shut down.

Leopold's could be a walkable favourite in the neighbourhood. With a relaxed "dive bar" atmosphere, it could make the area have a more livable feel. The best commercial streets will have something for locals in addition to posh shops and restaurants. It used to be that people would walk to their pharmacies or dentist office on Academy Road but that happens less now. We need more of that.

Leopold's plans more locations so that other neighbourhoods could have their places to hang out. It will be interesting to see what sort of impact it will have in River Heights or whether residents and landlords will chase away all the business and create a re-newed restaurant and shop desert with no street life.

Wheelies Roller Rink Set To Close

Today is the last day and probably more profoundly, the end of an era. Wheelies Roller Rink is set to close at the end of the day April 30. At one time the city of Winnipeg had roller rinks spread out all  over the city dating back decades with perhaps a heyday from the 1970s to 1990s. In recent years, it has been on the decline as location after location have been enclosed often to encroaching other enterprises.

And so it goes with Wheelies on Logan. A neighbouring business has bought the property and everything is being cleared out. Could it re-open elsewhere? Possibly. The owner is looking for an affordable 20,000 square foot location but that might be as difficult to find as a unicorn.

What was most attractive for families was the price for roller skating. Even on the last day, the price $2 per person. Hard to match that anywhere aside from the playground but then a playground is not brightly lit and open into a winter night with top 40 music playing and a mix of young, old, girls and boys.

Winnipeg Roller Rink, Saints and Wheelies was all about family time and in an Internet gaming world was one of the few ways to get kids out of the house. It was also one way to get parents forever on the sidelines of sports and other activities out there with them. No doubt this was one of the reasons why rolling skating in a party-like setting has had Winnipeg in its thrall for some long.

In a perfect world, a new location will be found and if not, hopefully, a new business model will emerge that includes a roller rink. In Canada, 5 pin bowling has survived in large part by innovation. Academy Uptown Lanes kept plugging away till they found a new location and business model. They will eventually relocate from Academy Road to Ellice Avenue.

For today anyway remember that bad top 40 song from years ago that will always remind you of the rink. Think back on that first disco ball you saw. Harken on a time when everyone had bad haircuts but that young girl or guy still looked awesome. And shed a tear for when our feet had wheels.

Loka to Move to Academy Road

The former home of Moule at Academy Road and Niagara shut down this year and was promptly demolished. Presently before zoning is a plan to build a new two floor building with the retail store Loka occupying the first floor and a physiotherapy clinic taking the second floor.

Parking will remain limited along the side but street parking on Academy can accommodate a number of cars. Loka is presently located on Corydon Avenue at Waterloo Street but for a time was on Academy Road near Lanark Street until it and combined with a Richardson Concourse location in 2014.

River Heights continues to see growth of the commercial sector along Academy. This past year saw controversy over a medical clinic going up near Borebank Street.

The new business should not be as much of a concern as it replaces a business that was already there.

Local businesses that actually serve the local area are probably less of a burden than traffic that races through destined for somewhere else. And as far as parking in the area, this is a reflection that many homeowners own two, three or four cars in a family that do not fit in the generally one car garages ob the neighbourhood. Hence, thousands of cars parked  between Wellington Crescent and Taylor in all of River Heights in front of homes.

Loka and athephysio clinic are likely to be up sometime in 2018.

Defunct Pharmacies Drug Stores of Winnipeg

Academy Road, Snell's just beyond the Shell Station

One of the most popular posts I've ever written and which gets hundreds of people looking at it every month is my defunct restaurants of Winnipeg article. My list is far from from comprehensive but a good start when remembering long closed eating establishments in the city.  It is difficult to remember history when you're living it. The neighbourhood is just the neighbourhood and you don't often stop to write it down or take a picture of it. Photographs might exist in private albums but for the most part, you have to rely in faulty memory about what was where and when.

I have meant to write the post for a while and it is about all the small community pharmacies that were the lifeblood of everyone's lives until the superstore pharmacies that fill our megaplexes now. It seemed most drug stores were within walking distance and were as prevalent as the the small grocers.

I was raised in River Heights and was familiar with a few pharmacies in the 1970s and 1980s.  On Academy Road at Lanark where7th Avenue Fashions has stood for more than 25 years was Bassey's Pharmacy. It stood for decades and like a lot of drug stores sold everything from greeting cards to comic books. For a long time, there was a front and a back entrance and kids would enter from the back and head straight to the comics section.

Bassey's Pharmacy would later buy Snell's Pharmacy at Queenston and Academy Road. It was a little smaller and only had street parking but was closer to some local grocers like Tom Boy and a baker beside the Toronto Dominion Bank. The 7/Eleven would make its appearance in the 1970s on the spot of an old Safeway.

At the south end of River Heights, there was a Nieman's Pharmacy between Lanark and Refrew Streets. The Nieman family would go on to own a series of drug stores including one further down Corydon at Harrow and Stafford. The building years later in the 1980s would house Nibbler's Nosh. Strangely enough the whole building is once again a drug store: a Pharma Plus Rexall.

Near River Heights Junior High at Niagara was a Dixon's Pharmacy where the Paper Gallery now stands. Students from the school would troop there in winter for snacks and in summer in the late 1970s go to an ice cream shop where 7/Eleven stands. I can't recall the name of the ice cream place other than it was Dairy Whip or something to that effect.

Every neighbourhood has stories of their local pharmacies. I will add more over time but please share yours as memory fades with time.

Moulé Winnipeg Closed

For anyone driving down Academy Road, it was hard not to notice the closing sale signs as well as building for sale sign at Moulé Winnipeg at 443 Academy Road. The onetime flagship of a family business spanning 4 locations across North America is now closed and the windows reveal an empty store.

The boutique sold clothes, make-up, gifts and wide array of items in a 1928 converted family residence that was built out to the street in 1994. At just under 3000 square feet, it was not a small store in the least.

Academy Road continues to evolve. Over the years, it was home to Safeways, gas stations such Gulf. Pacific 66, movie theatre, pharmacies, banks like Fidelity Trust, Bank of Montreal, TD, Royal Bank, dentist offices, video stores like Video Zone and Adi's  and a greasy spoon restaurant. In recent years, it has been boutiques and fancy restaurants.

By the way, if anyone can remember all the gas stations on Academy Road, please message me.

Moulé Winnipeg has been unconditionally sold and it seems likely we are going to be seeing another shop set up. With any luck, it will have the long successful run that its previous owner did.

Giant Tiger to Open at 1441 Main Street, former Co-Op

The long awaited answer about what is going up in the former Co-Op store is known today. Giant Tiger will be the new store and it opens November 18 of this year.

Co-Op was dumped from the location even after trying to re-new the lease or even buy the property. It was a bit mystifying why a grocery store would be re-buffed in such a way.

1441 Main Street was a long time Safeway before being sold to Co-Op to satisfy federal competition rules. It appeared that the store was doing well but then the announced closure came. It was speculated that Giant Tiger might be the new store coming in but the building sat empty for some time before today's announcement.

It remains to be seen whether Giant Tiger is a better fit for the area but they are a strong company with food and merchandise so this can't be seen as anything but good for local people in the area.

Defunct Video Stores of Winnipeg

Music Traders became home to Movie Village after it closed

The first video rental store in North America came in 1977 in Los Angeles when 20th Century Fox was in financial trouble. Despite the blockbuster Star Wars released in the same year, some studios were bleeding money because of older and decaying movie theatres and audiences who were turning to TV in greater numbers. To combat this at the behest of Magnetic Video, 20th Century Fox released 50 older films for the Betamax and VHS rental market.

This was not a cheap form of entertainment. In 1977, JVC introduced the first VCR for home use which included the ability to record for 2 hours. The cost was just under $1500. In today's dollars, it would be like a family spending $5500. Sony's Betamax released in 1975 was also priced in the $1500 range. The early movies available like Bridge on the River Kwai and Butch Cassidy had to ordered from a catalogue and were not inexpensive. Blank tapes were $20 or over $70 in today's dollars and movie tapes were $50 to $100 each which in today's dollars meant movies started at over $150 and up!

It is easy to see why the rental market for videos was the way to go. It was very expensive for the early adopters. I remember seeing a Betamax machine in 1979 at a friend's house. It was a huge box and worth a down payment on a home during those years. And that is no exaggeration. I recall not being impressed by the movies. None were new and I was not familiar with Hello, Dolly! or The King and I except seeing them at Rainbow Stage. Like a lot of people at the time, I longed for Star Wars.

In my house we only got cable and a colour TV a few years earlier.  Videon arrived in Winnipeg on the west side of the Red River in 1968. We had a black and white TV at the time. The screen wasn't huge but the cabinetry around it was. Cable even at $5 a month was a lot for my family so we didn't pick it up until late 1971. We only got a colour TV in 1973. It was only a year earlier that pretty much all prime TV from the U.S. was broadcast in colour.

My family would not be the first to get a VCR. However, the availability of videos and places to rent them sort of reached a critical mass around 1981. It was Christmas that year and in 1982 that many people got as a family gift, a VCR. For my family it was 1982 and for me the main reason was so I could see Star Wars which was being made available for the first time as a rental.

It was in 1981 or 1982 that the first video rental place in my neighbourhood on Academy Road near Lanark Street opened. The store was inside what used to be a sporting good store owned by present Royal Sports owners.

Video Zone on Academy Road had one wall of Beta tapes and the other wall had VHS. For some time, I believe you could even rent a Betamax to watch your rented video. Not sure when Adi's arrived on Academy Road but I thought a year or two later. Multiples of certain video stores started to arrive until there was well over a hundred and perhaps just under 200 store renting videos if you eventually included adult and 7/11 stores.

I am going to list as many of the defunct video stores by the street and cross street as I can. I am not going to remember all of them at all so will require assistance from you the trusted reader! Any details on the store will be appreciated as well. Expect this to be updated often.

Academy Road:

Video Zone: Lanark Street. Early arrival to the video rental business.
Adi's Video: Oak Street, one of a number Adi's.

Autumnwood:

Windsor Video: 1069 Autumnwood 

Britannica:

SIR Video: Later Rogers Video

Corydon Avenue:

Just New Releases: Lanark Street at Corydon Village Mall
Adi's Video: Tuxedo Village Mall

Dakota:

Bill's Home Video: At Meadowood. Now a Liqour Mart across from St. Vital Centre 

Goulet:

Goulet Viideo: 145 Goulet...now a Goodwill.

Grant Avenue:

Jumbo Video: Kenaston Village Mall which was replaced by a Rogers Video.
Rogers Video: Kenaston Village Mall across from Superstore at Grant
Blockbuster Video: Grant Park Shopping Mall
Blockbuster Video: Charleswood Shopping Mall

Henderson Highway:

Adi's Video: At Martin Street

Lakewood:

Jumbo Video: Later Blockbuster Video at 12 Lakewood
Country Video: 35 Lakewood Southdate Centre...now a Pet Valu. 


Osborne:

Movie Village: Rosyln Road. Huge selection and one of the longest lasting at that location before moving next door to Music Traders

Blockbuster Video: Wardlaw...now a Snap Fitness.

Marion:

St. Boniface Video: Beside Hair Passion 

McLeod:

Rogers Video - McLeod between Gateway and London

Meadowood:

The Video Superstore (TVS): Later best Sleep Centre
Video Den
Adi's Video
 
Portage Avenue:

Movie Gallery: Garfield Street. Now Gooch's Bike Shop

Roblin Boulevard:

Rogers Video: Charleswood Square at Dieppe Road
Pick-A-Flick: Between Sparrow and Dale...later to Forest Park Mall (Charleswood Mall)
Video Den: Sparrow and Dale strip mall after Pick-A-Flick

Springfield Road

Pick-A-Flick - Springfield and Raleigh
Blockbuster - Springfield and Henderson

St. Mary's Road

Bill's Video - Across from Tim Horton's  

Westmount:

Adi's Video: 414 Westmount 

Bermax Caffe + Bistro Opening Soon

In the 1970s there were few restaurants in River Heights at all. You could count them on your fingers really. Even in the 1980s, the restaurants were a bit spotty. There would be a Chinese good place there, a take-out pizza joint there. It was the early 1980s when a few places sprouted up on Grant to great success. Grapes and Pepper's filled a crying need on the border of River Heights and Tuxedo and both places were filled for many years to come.

To be fair River Heights is very residential. There are only a certain few places where any commercial development is even permissible. The spots that are available and often small and only offer street parking. During the 1980s a number of the gas stations that were on Academy Road closed and this set the stage for some more exclusive retailing such as Eyelot Dove, Laughing Giraffe and Paper Gallery. It still took some time before restaurants like Fusion and Saucers found their way in 1996 and beyond.

In short, many restauranteurs might want to ply their trade in River Heights but alas there are few spots to do so.

The closure of the CN Oakbank line has seen commercial development extend on streets like Academy and Grant. It has also seen many new condos go up all along that narrow property as well.

In front of the condos at Corydon Avenue, a commercial development went up. It started up in 2012 and the first tenants was a hair salon but paper is over the windows telling us that Bermax is opening soon.

Under construction in 2012 on Corydon

Bermax Caffee + Bistro has their website up but no menu. The indication though is that it will be kosher and that the coffee will be top notch. Will be looking to see what comes in the days and weeks ahead!

Kelvin High School's New Gym

Kelvin High School Seen from Academy Road

Kelvin High School was first built between 1910 and 1912 right along Academy Road. The houses of River Heights came quickly after.

L.B. Foote Picture from roof of Kelvin High

The first Kelvin was named Kelvin Technical High School and was designed by provincial architect J.B. Mitchell. It was constructed for a total of $265,000 and stood four floors. Tyndall stone and Leary red brick was used for the materials. Much of River Heights was empty in 1912 but by 1922 an addition J.N. Semmens needed to be added as the neighboorhood was surging following World War I.

Kelvin had an identical twin school built on Machray Avenue in St. John's Technical High School. The rules on naming back then was alternating between British lords and saints. Hence, Kelvin and St. John's.

The name Kelvin presumably fit a technical school as Lord Kelvin also known as Sir William Thomson was a brilliant mathematician and physicist. Today he is best known for the absolute temperature scale or Kelvin Scale. He never visited his namesake school as he died in 1907 but he did come to Canada a number of times.

The school would stand through two World Wars and lose many students to the conflicts. 55 of 527 died in WWI and 225 died of 2,640 in WWII. They were honoured on a wall within the old school.

By the 1950s, the school began to fall into disrepair. The center town had to be removed because it was unstable in 1957. Eventually the building was literally falling apart in a post-war baby boom.

A huge need for additional classroom space led to an expansion in 1963. By 1964, an entire new building for the whole school was under construction along Kingsway for around $1.4 million. The new school was ready to go in 1965 and the old school was knocked down in 1965 and is the present track and soccer field.

Kelvin officially became know as Kelvin High School in 1965. The school had always been a grade 10 to 12 school but in 1995 the school added grade 9 students. Special education and physical disabilities requirements saw elevators added and in 2002, two art rooms, two classrooms and a computer lab were built out toward Stafford Street.

Kelvin's addition in 2002

The staff parking lot has grown as the faculty has grown and many students drive now so almost every street nearby has cars parked on it with kids running out to change spots as time runs out. Parking patrols make quick work of the heedless.

The new addition in 2002 used traditional red brick and modern dark windows. I have never been a fan of the yellow frames on the rest of the school. They always seemed out of date even in the 1970s.

The latest addition will be a new gym to accommodate the increased number of students.

Kelvin students created a visual of what the new gym will look like.



In 2015, the new Kelvin building will be 50 years old. The new gym addition is probably not the last change we see to the school. Hope they start with taking out the yellow panel windows.

The Sir John Franklin School Development

Original Sir John Franklin School River Heights

After World War  I, north River Heights in Winnipeg experienced steady growth. In 1921. Sir John Franklin School was built to serve elementary students in the area. As early pictures attest, the school was a lot smaller and on rougher prairie fields than what came from the 1950s onward.

The red brick school originally designed by J.N. Semmens in the Collegiate Gothic style and built by Fraser and MacDonald contractors cost $52,000. Day labourers from Sutherland Construction built the one floor, six room schoolhouse on what was the very edge of the city at the time.

Sir Sam Steele school was built in the same red brick style and renovated in much the same way on Chester Street in Winnipeg in 1921.

Sir Sam Steele School was similar in design in 1921

There were expansions in 1934 and 1951 to add more classrooms and a gymnasium.

The school was U-shaped with a courtyard facing to the back lanes. The front of the school and a small staff parking lot faced out to Beaverbrook Street. A play structure was built in the 1980s at the front of the school. Tether ball poles, four square courts and hop scotch were set inside and around the courtyard.

For a time, an outdoor curling rink existed in the 1970s by the parking lot. There were two soccer fields, one baseball diamond and a single basketball hoop. The entire school was surrounded by a chain link that was open on the Beaverbrook side. Narrow openings existed to the street at Lanark. There were also a few waist level holes ostensibly to let dogs in and out. It was not unusual for River Heights people to just let their dogs out on the 1950s through 1970s and see them in the school yards at recess.

The view from Lanark Street, a single basketball hoop

Bushes and trees lined the fence along Lanark Street ending in a stand of mature oaks at the northeast corner of the school. Children used to play in the bushes during and after school.

The official address of the school was 386 Beaverbrook Street and a red mail box was right at the corner of Beaverbook and Grosvenor Avenue to handle to mail from the school and Westworth United Church across the street. It was in the 1980s that a daycare was established at Westworth Church as a before and after program for school kids.

It all came to an end in 1989 when the school saw dwindling enrollment and with too many other schools nearby, the school was shuttered. In 1990, the old school was demolished.

Sir John Franklin Community Club made use of the school for many years for soccer as well as baseball. Throughout the 1990s, it was typical to see a few games going on each day.

What Sir John Franklin looks like today

In winter, the fields sat largely empty save for people who cut across school grounds and those who strapped on cross country skis. It is uncertain when it happened but sometime in the 1990s the former school grounds became an unofficial off leash dog park.

The clashes between the community club and dog owners were ferocious.  People not cleaning up after their dogs being a primary concern. No trespassing signs and barricades were torn down by the dog people. Eventually the club gave up.

Irresponsible dog owners and droppings remain a problem even now.

The bushes and trees and oaks along Lanark fence.

The city tried to buy the park from the Winnipeg School Division but could not strike a deal. The WSD knew that the land was valuable and wanted more from it than giving it up for free or for a small sum.

The status quo suited some as long as someone was mowing and taking care of the property. The school division eventually made the move to sell and a debate has gone on for some time.

Dog owners wanted the land to become an official dog park. There certainly is a demand for an off leash park and the city is woefully behind in setting a policy for it. Many cities have quite a few of them. Winnipeg really only has unofficial kinds. Sir John Franklin often has dozens of owners in the park with their dogs.

A valuable postage stamp property in River Heights

The city has plainly said there are enough parks in River Heights that they maintain already. While this might be true, the dog owners have a point that the city should allocate some for their use. The school division maintains that while a school has not been there for under 15 years, it is not a park and they should be able to dispose of it accordingly.

All three of the above are correct. The city should offer up an off leash dog park somewhere else in River Heights. It is not the job of the school division to offer one. Dog owners must accept that the unofficial off leash park was temporary despite the trespass of all these years.

My personal preference to set up an official off leash dog park is off Edgeland in Tuxedo, close to the neighbourhood Safeway.

The square property near Tuxedo Safeway

There may be other choices out there. Heck, if the city wants to get creative, they can move the works yard beside Sir John Franklin Community Club.

Can't be the only one looking at those swaths of land

Dog owners should have options. Time for the city step up and do their job.

Going to the Dogs?

The school division has the right to sell the land at 386 Beaverbrook Street.

If housing, what kind?

While some residents and dog owners wanted no change, a number of other people became resigned to the fact that the land was likely to be housing of some kind. Like the disposition of the CN Oak Bank rail lines nearby, citizens rejecting every proposal made will ultimately have something imposed on them if they offer no alternative input.

If housing was to go on the site, what kind of housing? A number of people, including a nearby church, thought maybe seniors housing. Such a project requires someone taking the bull by the horns and no one did so the idea fizzled. The Free Press suggested high density housing but as pointed out Lanark Street might not be able to accommodate it. And Jane Jacobs said high density can't simply bowl over a neighbourhood without consequences.

The school division eventually sold the entire site to a developer called 386 Beaverbook Developments.

Public hearing were held and the development company showed a design similar to the bay designs that line the west of Lanark Street now. The city flatly said no. When they said no more parks, they meant it. There might have been wide support ultimately for the design which also included housing on Beavebrook Street but the city did not want a bay.

Bay meant more traffic on Lanark Street

The bay houses might be valuable for the homeowners but they are underutilized parks with no real amenities and only costs for the city in terms in cutting grass and tree service. To be fair, the heyday of the parks might have been the 1970s when dozens of kids played in the parks all the time. Those days have long passed and the parks themselves often look a lot rougher than in years past from neglect.

Moreover, Lanark Street has become busier and busier ever since the traffic lights were placed at Academy and four way stop signs at Kingsway. The popularity of the shops and coffee places on Academy plus homeowners parking on the street means that most north River Heights streets are a unbroken line of parked cars 24 hours a day.

Lanark Street is the primary street used to turn left at Academy and it is always busy. The traffic circle at Lanark and Grosvenor funnels even more traffic down the street. A bay would put more traffic on the street. Lastly, Grosvenor Avenue would have been broken up by an alleyway and a pathway to the bay. This would have squeezed Westworth Church even more than roadway changes have already done.

So no bay support from the city.

Another proposal was for houses east and west and the east side of Beaverbook Street with a pocket park at Beaverbrook and Grosvenor.

East and West and Beaverbrook and park

This idea fell out of favour as well. The city really meant no when they said no more parks that they have to tend to.

Still problems with the configuration

Just a few days ago, it looks like the final design has been settled on.

It appears the city favoured an extension of the lane for garbage pick-up and a east-west road and another public lane for garbage pick-up and garages. The one major concession to parks was preservation of a green strip down Lanark and the mature oaks at the corner of the lot.

East-West road, Oaks at top preserved

The garages at back and a public road east and west provides parking in front of houses if needed and off Lanark Street.

Houses facing Grosvenor, Church squeezed?

The houses facing Grosvenor face a church. For those who love parking only in front of their houses, they will face competition for the spots from the church and vice versa.

No one will be completely happy but the construction of 31 new homes in River Heights represents compromises. It puts money in the budget for the Winnipeg School Division to do something else. It gives the city new tax money from homes in a high value area, infills land inside the city, increases density using existing infrastructure.

The church while unhappy that they may have fewer spots in front to park might find they have new church goers as well. Ironically, new homes might attract more families seeking schools in the area...of what once was a school.

Dog owners need spaces. Time for the city to get off their duffs and help find them. I think I have pointed out a few spots already.

"Not in my backyard" cannot prevail without challenge. More people need to take the position of "Not without my involvement" or we achieve nothing.

River Heights gets 31 new family homes. Welcome to the neighbourhood.

By the way, I am looking for many more old Sir John Franklin school pictures. Please send my way.

Roblin Boulevard Part 9

Asahi Japanese Restaurant Closed 2014

In 2008, a makeover of an old strip mall on Roblin Boulevard saw the entry of Starbucks and posh Asahi Japanese Restaurant to what marks the beginning of old Charleswood. Saying farewell to the area were longtime establishments of Robin's and KFC. Subway was the only one to survive the renovations.

Starbucks established itself nicely as a gathering spot for Charleswood and the whole little strip felt more updated. Prior to that, the feeling of the Robin's and KFC was of restaurants of a bygone decade.

The most exciting addition was Asahi Japanese Restaurant. From the start it offered an exotic new taste to the area that generally has leaned towards Greek with Pappas and White Tower a baseball throw from one another. If there was one cautionary note it was that Sushi Park in the Charleswood Shopping Centre on Grant Avenue had just opened as well.

In terms of price and poshness, Asahi won hands down. It was gorgeous inside. However, in recent years the crowds seemed thinner. Meanwhile, Charleswood Mall including Sushi Park seemed a busier place from lunch time to later in the day.

It is with sadness that the For Lease signs appear in Asahi's windows. I am sure that it will continue to be a restaurant but what kind it is hard to say.

What will movie into Asahi?

 I have meant to update the Robiln Boulevard report for some time as other changes are affoot.

In 2009, beloved McIntyre Meats closed suddenly. It was the successor to equally loved Norman's. For years the site has sat empty. No more. In what seems like a no brainer, the Salvation Army Thrift store is expanding into their spot.

Salvation Army Thrift Store Expanding

The leasing of the space for the thrift store will fill a sad and longtime whole in the little mall. After this, it appears the mall is fully leased.

Co-Op Gas Next Door is Always Busy

Back in 2007 the little mall that houses the local Charleswood 7/Eleven had a little sports store Kel's Crease and Presto Pizza. Both of those businesess are gone and Kel's Crease location was the site of two fashion businesses over the years: Street 204 and then Army Candy. Presto Pizza eventually closed and what came to occupy that space along with the fashion store's location in a two step process was Victory Sports and Injury Clinic.

The addition of Victory Sports and Injury Clinic is in keeping with what really dominates the old Charleswood section of Roblin: Medical clinics, dental clinics, physiotherapy, massage therapy, athletic therapy, chiropractors, optician and veterinarian care. Oh, and two very busy car mechanics centers.

Redeemed Gone

One last bit of sad news: Redeemed is gone beside White Tower.  Redeemed had just been featured in the news in regards to it being a retailer of used fashion. They still appear to have their Academy Road location. Prior to Redeemed the location was the Mattress Source and Sleep Shoppe. The hairstyling place at the end of the mall in 2007 is now occupied by another health business Snider Podiatry Clinic.

Old Charleswood has been a bit of a mishmash but any time during the day you do see foot traffic making way to the various businesses. In many respects it is the downtown of Charleswood.

Grant Park Shopping Mall 3

Target Opening Soon

This coming week Grant Park Shopping Centre starts to re-surface their parking lot outside the Target. Things are getting close for the opening of the store.

Meanwhile, inside the mall, the roof has been blown off for sunlit portals to bring in some natural light in.

One of the New Portals

The Modern Taco Company expands beyond Academy Road and opens beside McNally Robinson soon. Access is from outside the mall.

It has been years of construction but in the end, Grant Park Shopping Centre has been transformed.

It has always been a bit of a hodge podge despite expansions and modernizations over the years.

There seems to more of a flow from one end of the mall to the other after this major initative.

Despite this major completion, the mall still has question marks regarding two anchors. Will the Safeway close, be re-branded or sold? Will Empire Theatres modernize, be closed or turned to a discount movie house?

The Target which opens soon will be southwest Winnipeg's first and the store will under severe scrutiny comparing it to the U.S. experience. One suspects that Target Canada's executives know they won't be able to underperform for very long. Somehow, Target needs to find the same success that Costco and Walmart have found in Canada.