Bisons of Roblin Boulevard

We've always been pretty good at public art even the abstract and popular kind. In 2005, the Bears of Broadway art installation took place and 62 polar bear statues were put up. Many of those statues exist today in various parts of the city as beloved pieces. 

In 2025, a new popular art installation is taking place and 26 painted bisons have taken residence on Roblin Boulevard. 

The bisons are painted as a fundraising for kids called Bisons on the Boulevard in support of Toba Centre for Children and Youth, an organization is support of kids and family recovering from abuse.

The bisons are painted on both sides so it is worthwhile to observe if you are on foot. From the road, they are a stunning addition from the park entrance, past the zoo. Statues are on both sides of the road.

Signs at the base and posted beside the bisons give the name of the work and the arts as well as the sponsor.

Winnipeggers love art and the bisons are already a beloved part of a visit to the park and the zoo. 

The artists really used a lot of colour in their work.

For those walking know that the ground could be sloped or close to the curb.

The ground could also be wet.

In other words, there is no sidewalk where many of the bison are on the north side.

I had to watch for traffic as many drivers were distracted and I was pretty much on the curb.

Off in the distance the start of the bisons at Assiniboine Park gates.

It is possible to see all 26 bison up close but it may be a longer walk for some kids. And as mentioned is not exactly set up for strollers.

Assiniboine Park has a fair amount of art in it which is good. The Leo Mol sculpture garden is amazing. From time to time there can be controversy. Case in point is Queen Victoria being toppled and decapitated. There may have been a case to remove it but it is never good to vandalize art.

I'm unsure how long the bisons will be out. There are still a few polar bears around from 2005.

I only got to so many bisons this time. I will take pics of more next time.

I expect people will have a few visits for these bisons and I will take more pictures as there are so many to see.

New Charleswood Sign

It went up just before Christmas 2024 but the final plantings in front were done in last month or so. This is the fourth version of the sign and the third to keep the Suburb Beautiful slogan. 

Charleswood has been experiencing some building south near Ridgewood and some more density along some of its major roads. However, the suburb continues to be one of ditches and roads resembling a small town that what might be seen in some other areas of the city.
 

The Seniors Residences of Oakdale

In 2021 many residents of Charleswood protested this 55+ housing development. While all agreed housing was needed for the area, the residents just didn't want it near them. The housing now approved against many of those wishes can be seeing al the William R. Clement Parkway, the road running from river to Grant and ending at the dogpark.

As seen in the above illustration, there are three apartment building being built. The tallest at 7 storeys is closest to the road. with two more apartments in a U shape beside it. One of them closer to the road and the other less so. The parking lot is in the middle. There will be 270 units altogether.

At the corner of Oakdale and Grant there are already four multi-unit apartments, one facing right out to Grant. There were objections to those as well. However, Oakdale Drive remains largely a quiet Charleswood street with very large houses and sprawling properties. 

The William R. Clement Parkway connects Grant to Roblin and extends to the Charleswood Bridge. The roadway runs through the old city owned Charleswood Golf Course which has extensive forested areas, especially on the west side. Despite how many cars are taking the parkway, it is has mature as well as newly planted trees, pedestrian crossings and walk and bike paths everywhere. The streets running parallel to the parkway are decidedly low density.

Charleswood has very low rise apartments along some of its busier roads. Across from the Charleswood Mall are several apartments that are actually taller than three floors. Most of the places built are more than 30 and even 40 years old. Newer places for seniors with mobility issues or wanting other amenities are nowhere to be found. A three floor walk up is just not what a senior with bad knees needs to wants.

A property held by a religious group with a large parking lot became available. There are some who wanted it divided into four or five large house lots with enormous back yards. This would have been wholly a poor use for the size of the property. Even a very active church would have had detractors on the street. It seemed inevitable that the land would be looked at for multi-unit housing.

Generally, there is resistance to any change in a neighbourhood. Even changing colour of a house can be disruptive. If it wasn't in the neighbourhood initially, a lot of people don't want it. It is why places like Bridgwater have multi-unit housing right from the start. No one complains because they were there when the detached houses were built.

The Charlewood Active Living Centre which was in need of a new home will be locating within the facility. They will occupy 4000 square feet in Building B which will serve between 500-600 members. The residents of Oakdale will have access to the facility. Presumably, there will be parking for those going to the Centre. The 55+ residents of Oakdale will also have common rooms and a gym.

There will be quite a buffer of trees between Oakdale and the apartments s well as north and south of the property. Understandably, the 7 storey building is higher the tree-line perimeter but the building is it set far enough toward the road. It is clearly visible from the parkway. This does have to be a problem. There are some lovely neighbourhoods where the second or third floors can see into surrounding yards. River Heights comes to mind. Most of the city is like that. Even Charleswood with deep lots doesn't necessarily have wide lots except maybe on Oakdale.

If you were to have a choice on types of housing that would nearby a 55+ apartment would be top of the list. Having retired or near retirement people living nearby means they don't keep the same work hours as the 9 to 5 crowd. No school bus coming to pick up kids at the apartment. The McDonald's at the mall is likely to have seniors there drinking coffee early morning. The traffic on Oakdale is probably going to less geared to rush hour.

As for Charleswood residents, a 55+ apartment gives them a choice when a they reach an age where the detached house is just too big and too much. Presently, people in the area don't have a lot of choices or none at all. They often have to move way out of the the neighbourhood to places like Tuxedo. It is only then that some realize just how hard it is to stay in the area you might have lived for 30 or more years.

It is likely not going to take very long for the importance of this housing will be in the neighbourhood. Oakdale itself will remain a very desirable street to live on and it not likely the majority will notice any real traffic problems. The fears that the street would be ruined by loss of the golf course were assuaged by the handiness of using the parkway and having traffic stop using the other side streets. Likewise, getting the Charleswood Bridge made the neighbourhood more convenient rather than less convenient.

The city desperately needs more apartment and especially in areas like Charleswood where the population is nearing or is at retirement. The developer paved the road from the entrance of the apartment out to Grant and did other improvements totalling $2.5 million to persuade council to approve. They added a new sidewalk and made sewer improvements. In all, council got the developer to do what was needed to not have the city on the hook later. 

It takes far too long for developments to get built. Some have delays as long as ten years that seem confounding. It is not difficult to see that this new 55+ apartment will have a line-up of new residents wanting to move in. It was also open up detached housing for those unwilling to move until they had this option available. They get to remain in their beloved, safe and green neighbourhood.

Pizza Express and Submarine Returns to Winnipeg

After 20 years Brandon-based Pizza Express and Submarine has returned to Winnipeg and had taken up residence in old Charleswood at the site of the former Carbone Coal Fired Pizza along Roblin Boulevard.

As posted earlier just down Roblin Charleswood Pizza Depot just opened in the former Little Caesar's. It is a tough business but people are looking for something different and while Pizza Depot has a taste of southeast Asia, Pizza Express and Submarines has both pizza and subs.

Pizza Express and Submarine got its start in Brandon with Vasilarakis family. Working in pizza restaurants till they owned their own in 1982, they turned Pizza Express and Submarine into a western Manitoba fave,

In 1990 in the first incarnation of Pizza Express came to Winnipeg. The Portage location won over customers with Greek pizza fare and submarines. This led to another location on St. Mary's Road. However, by 1998 it was all over and an offer to purchase and a desire to be back with family and their original store and it was back to Brandon. And for years no more Pizza Express in Winnipeg till now.

The family has now grown up and the opportunity to operate in Winnipeg once more was a siren call. It is likely Charleswood is a good place to recapture the west part of the city again.

The pandemic and inflation has been a tough market to survive in but the job market remains resilient and the entrepreneurial spirit of people appears strong. Only a few vacancies exist in Charleswood which should attest to the business and restaurants needed in the area.

Charleswood Pizza Depot

After many years as an outpost of Little Caesar's in Charleswood, a change to the strip mall across from Laxdal came mid January of 2023. It was the only location in the Charleswood/Tuxedo location. The chain is in no danger of going out of business in Winnipeg with under two dozen locations spread across the city.

In it's place a Canadian chain is going up founded by Ranjit Mahil, an immigrant from India with a degree in chemistry. In 1992, when he found it hard to get a job in his field, he delivered pizza and eventually got a franchise himself. By 2017, Mahil knew the ins and out of the industry but felt that to be distinct, he would add flavours of India and southeast Asia. Adding store franchises each year in Ontario and Alberta, the concept arrived in Winnipeg with location on Molson, Mandalay and Main Street. Roblin Blvd in Charleswood will be the fourth location.

The opening was attended by Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal MP and covered by the Indian Canadian media.

Charleswood has shown a penchant for different dining experiences in recent years with Japanese, Chinese and fine dining mixed in with well known franchises for fast and casual dining restaurants. But Indian is now starting to expand into suburbs offering well known North American fare with a south Asian twist.

With so many pizza restaurants in Winnipeg, the ability to stand out is a compelling one. And butter chicken pizza could become a favourite for those in Charleswood.

Master's of London and Control Escape Close in Charleswood

Master's of London has ads up in the news and in their windows that the store is closing. It was the store that took over the Charleswood Department Store's site after the owner passed away after decades in business. The owners of Master's were not new to retail either. They had owned stores in other locations such as Tuxedo and Grant Park for years before moving onto Roblin Boulevard in Old Charleswood.

It is not certain why the business is closing but suffice to say that retail is tough and the right location in one place might not be the right location elsewhere. The sale continues but suspect the actual door closing could be soon.

Another Charleswood business to close is Control Escape, one of the city ubiquitous escape rooms.

If anyone was thinking that the city might be hitting maximum amount of escape rooms this was probably an indication. It did not even make a year in their location right beside the Co-Op gas.

Old Charleswood had nearly come to fully leased in the past year but now their gaps. Lowey Insurance recently took the opportunity to expand into the retail store beside it. And one chiropractor business closed only to be replaced by another.

It will be interesting to see what goes up where Master's of London is. It is awkwardly placed and may not be the best spot for a large retail or restaurant business. The time might have come to subdivide it.

Fast Fired By Carbone Coming to Charleswood

March 2018, Fast Fired by Carbone Opened Brandon

The former Subway in old Charleswood closed and paper in the windows indicates that a new restaurant is soon to open. Fast Fired by Carbone is slated to open in the fall of 2018. The newly branded restaurant was formerly known as Carbone Coal Fired Pizza and had locations in River Heights and downtown.

Under their new brand name they opened a 1243 square foot location at the Coral Centre in Brandon, Manitoba to great fanfare in March. They show little signs of slowing down. In addition to the location being built on Roblin in Charleswood, they are working on a 1523 foot location in Sage Creek at Sage Creek Village North. There is also a new pad site of 1500 square feet at Kildonan Place being built. And lastly, at 201 Portage in the RBC building, a 313 square foot location is being built in the food court.

The Charleswood location will be 1290 square feet in the Morningwood Center. It is the first time I've heard that name used in the complex that also holds a Starbucks and the Capital restaurant. Subway had been the only survivor of a previous renovation that ended the tenure of Robin's and KFC.

Fast Fired by Carbone specializes in fare such as pizza and wings that are cooked in coal fired ovens imported into Canada. By the end of the year the restaurant,  founded in 2014, will have doubled in size from the present four location to eight. It is unlikely they will stay at the number given the interest in franchising the concept.

Control Escape Room Coming to Charleswood

The sign is up, the website says opening in May 2018, Control Escape Rooms is set to occupy the former Kids Etc Youth Movement dance studio at 3525 Roblin across from Laxdal in old Charleswood. Lest anyone think Kids Etc closed, a story is coming about their relocation into a building built for them.

There has been a lot change in old Charleswood after a number of years of stability in the business make-up of street. Kids Etc moved and Pizza Pizza closed in the same mall. The Prep Montessori School recently in the space where two former diet centres were once located.

In a shocker to many people the last bank of the street is shutting down and re-locating all its business to Portage Avenue. CIBC has been a fixture of the street forever. Now old Charleswood has no bank branch at in the next weeks.

The Charleswood Medical Centre is back up and running under new operators and a re-fresh. Sirius Benefits which was located in the old Matheo's restaurant was bought by People Corp and has re-located to Kenaston in their massive new facility. The building remains up for lease.

In another surprise the Subway restaurant shut down after many, many years. It had been the old survivor in renovations that saw Robin's and KFC closed in favour of Starbucks and now Capital restaurant.

However, back to Control Escape. Their webpage says opening soon and will feature 10 escape rooms. It will be the first escape room for the Charleswood area although Winnipeg may have the largest amount of the businesses anywhere on the planet. They truly have proliferated here and remain popular.

In a world where people increasingly were becoming shuts-ins to Netflix, video games and the like, the escape rooms are the antithesis to being alone. They require people to get together to enjoy an event in an allotted time with a reward at the end for figuring it out.

Expect to see Control Escape to open in Charleswood soon.

Joy Coffee Bar Coming to Charleswood

3311 Roblin Boulevard on the north side of the street has had a few different businesses in it from imported foods to book store. Now it is getting a coffee shop. Joy Coffee Bar is set to open soon. The business has been running as a mobile service but now will have a bricks and mortar location.

A Starbucks is just down the street as well as a few restaurants on the south side but in recent years there has been nothing on the north side of the old Charleswood downtown.

There isn't a lot of foot traffic in Charleswood in that people roam the streets shopping. Most retailers and businesses are destination businesses in that people drive to them for the purpose of patronizing them.

There has been a revival of coffee house culture in Winnipeg as bar scenes have dried up. For people who just want to meet up and enjoy the company of others without alcohol, there were restaurants but not so many coffee places.

It remains to be seen if the mobile business will continue but the coffee bar itself looks to open soon. It is probably too late to get a tiny patio up but that might be fun in the new year too.

Upper Crust Bakery Charleswood Closed

In 2012, the Upper Crust Bakery took over Oma's Bakery at 3416 Roblin Boulevard. Before that it was Roblin Bakery and Pastry. This week the closed sign is up and the windows have papered over. The Upper Crust had been owned by the Pesticelli family who also owned the original Upper Crust in Selkirk, Manitoba. Pretty much every day people driving down Roblin would see people in the bakery making purchases. It seemed the last remnants of a downtown Charleswood that used to have bank branches, a meat shop and a bakery would end forever.

Fear not. A sign has gone up and a website declares that S Square Pâtisserie will be opening in that location soon. They call themselves A Little Taste of Paris in Winnipeg.

Sophon Chhin is the owner and head pastry chef at S Squared Pâtisserie and had been looking for a location for sometime. His specialty is desserts and in particularly Macrons. The ship is still being worked on so Charleswood will have to wait and see what emerges in the days ahead.

Boston Pizza Coming to Charleswood Mall

Boston Pizza has evolved over the years to become more of a sports destination mixed with a casual dining experience. HD flatscreens have changed bars all over the world. No longer is it one sport on a projection screen or a few picture tube TVs mounted in corners or over bars. Now it is screens numbering 20 or 30 and on multiple sports all at same time! Boston Pizza is one of the restaurant groups that has taken that technology and broadcast innovation and run with it. Likewise, many of their locations now have patios attached to their dining rooms.

Over the many years Charleswood was a bit of a food desert. To be sure there were a few places to get breakfast or coffee or dine out but there was great swaths of the area devoid of anything. Along Roblin Boulevard near Assiniboine Park, the recent arrival of the Capitol Grill and Boulevard has excited residents in the area and beyond. However, further down Roblin it is a lot harder to find places at all.

The Charleswood Centre mall was originally called the Forest Park Mall but re-branded when they lost a key anchor. They transformed to a strip mall/box format and set aside the standard interior mall configuration. There were a few survivors from from those days such as Safeway and McDonald's. Another survivor is Sorrento's Pizza.

One can only imagine how Sorrento's feels that it is about to get a competitor in the parking lot. In the spot that the garden center and in winter Christmas trees are sold will be a new Boston Pizza. Fencing is already up and some work begun.

Now competition is a good thing but two pizza restaurants one in front of the other in the same shopping mall is a lot. Assuming a few months construction, we should see Boston Pizza open up in early fall.

As a side note: Menchies frozen yogurt restaurant closed a few months ago and has been replaced MYNT Dental clinic. Once against this puts the mall in more or less fully leased standing.

Fences Down at Assiniboine Park

Fence Posts Down Corydon Gone

If you drive down Corydon you might notice something different. The fence posts outside Assiniboine Park are gone. There had been a time when they were painted every year and rotten posts removed and chain replaced. Not anymore. The posts have all been removed all the way down to the west park entrance, it is open into the park.

Fence posts have been deteriorating all over the city and some have collapsed and nothing has been done. Assiniboine Park now has an open look to it that is quite amazing to see. Where possible it would be nice to see more fence posts removed but it is contingent on people not seeing it as an invitation to snowmobile or quad or other vehicles in the park.

 Many parks are suffering from deteriorating conditions and the first thing people see are fences. As a marquee park and with Assiniboine Conservancy as guardian, there has been moves to improve things in the park. However, the neglect elsewhere is hard to ignore. Broken fences, closed washrooms and overrun with gopher holes. Not every park can or has a protector.

And trees keep coming down every year in the park and streets of Winnipeg and fewer of them are going up.

Not sure if the removal of the fence posts signifies a change for the city but Assiniboine Park, you look good.

The Prep Montessori School Coming to Charleswood

The large space in the middle of 3500 Roblin's shopping complex in Old Charleswood has sat empty for some time save for a few elections where it served as temporary quarters for voters registration. Prior to that, the space was last held by U-Weight Loss and before that another weight related business.

Signage has gone up indicating that The Prep Montessori School will be taking over the whole space. They will occupy 3554 feet of space and create a large daycare within. The street already has several daycares nearby so this is a critical mass for parents in the neighbourhood.

The mall becomes fully leased with this move and now there is very little if no space for retail in the area. The second floor of the Charleswood Medical is now the largest space in the area waiting a tenant.

Shopping Malls are finding they need to be more clever in filling space and a daycare in the middle of this complex is likely to be seen as a smart move.

Charleswood Medical Centre Closed

After 35 years, the Charleswood Centre closed their second floor clinic in what is old downtown Charleswood at 3660 Roblin. The last official day was June 30 and the 10 plus doctors with a variety of specialist have scattered to other clinics in the city.

It is unknown why this large clinic closed which included X-ray and other services onsite. The entire second floor is now up for lease but given the size of the place it is  going to be a substantial space to fill.

There are substantial changes taking place in Charleswood but this particular building was the largest medical facility in the district. Will keep monitoring the building for updates.

White House Restaurant to move to Charleswood

For many decades the White House restaurant has been a mainstay of River Heights take out and delivery on Grant Avenue. Their byline is "World Famous Ribs and Chicken" and they have fans who have eaten their for 60 years.

There are only a select few restaurants in River Heights proper and the ones that are there often last a very long time. This is why the closed sign and removal of signs from their 1535 Grant location is a bit of a shock. The owners have said they are on the move for only the third time in their history. They have shared a building with the Grant Dental Clinic for years now.

The first incarnation of the White House was on Selkirk Avenue in Winnipeg in the 1940s and 50s. It was the place to hang out and colourful people met there to be secreted away to craps and card games. This was a time when men still wore suits and felt hats.

The move to River Heights coincided with a lot of their customer becoming prosperous and moving south of the Assiniboine. For many in the Jewish community, it was a point of pride to move into the south which still had rules in place for keeping certain people out based on racism.

In the recent year there has been something of a rejuvenation of Charleswood restaurants. The area has seen the arrival Boulevard taking over and expanding the old White Tower restaurant site and Capitol taking over the old Asahi and before that KFC site. Pappas restaurant inside the old Toronto Dominion bank remains a the decades long veteran.

It looks like Pappas will have a neighbour a few doors down with White Restaurant moving into one of three spots that Vi's Interiors occupies. Many years past it was a hair salon. The address is 3312 Roblin Boulevard.

The White House website mentioned a June opening but it looks like it will be July. Welcome to Charleswood! I'm sure they deliver to River Heights.

Charleswood Seniors Multi-Unit Housing Denied

Once again the plans for a seniors residence on church owned land has been shot down. This time it is by the city planning department whose rejection only seems to inspire confusion.

Not every development project has to be approved. However, every development needs a clear consistent policy set out by the city. In some cases some vocal proponents and opponents will make it very difficult to come to a decision that doesn't make someone want to duck and cover.

I originally looked at the project when it was proposed and thought it satisfied a need in the community and wasn't overly burdensome to the homes and streets surrounding.  The zoning meeting proved that there was a lot of controversy. Some of it came from those that didn't want to change the character of Charleswood.

It is a rather nebulous argument sometimes because it feels like someone closing the door after they themselves are inside.

The future needs of Charleswood are hard to deny. Many senior residents will find it hard to buy or even rent a place in the area if they sell their homes. It is true that that there are some personal care home homes, rental apartments and condos in the community but many are situated many blocks from where residents live now. Often, there are no places that are between house and personal care home.

The land behind the Charleswood United Church seems appropriate for seniors housing. It hardly looks like a location for massive amounts of traffic. At the moment, it seems that the winning idea for that land is do nothing.

In River Heights there was a fight over the railway land running north and south called Oakbank Line. The neighbourhood since the 1980s fought every single use of the land including the innocuous bike path. Today it is condos stretched all the way down the line. Residents must wonder now if the bike path was such a bad idea afterall.

At some point there will be something done with the land in Charlewood. Perhaps later on people will think a seniors residence on the site was a lost opportunity.

Boulevard Pub and Bistro Opening Soon

The White Tower restaurant had been a long time fixture of Roblin Boulevard near the Charleswood bridge. It one of a series of Greek restaurants that were mainstays of the old municipal downtown just west of the Assiniboine Park entrance. Sometime last year the White Tower quietly closed and went dark.

It is part of the generational change taking place in the neighbourhood that saw the Charleswood Hotel and Charleswood Department Store all close in recent years. The hotel is now a large Co-Op Gas while the store has been taken over by Boutique La Femme. Hopefully, the English owners there have as long a time as the last owner. Originally known as La Grand Femme when they opened in 1986, they have lived a nomadic existence bouncing around Academy Road, Grant Park Mall and Tuxedo Junction. Perhaps the old Charleswood store will give them the space they finally need.

The sudden closing of U Weight Loss Clinic on Roblin and another vacancy next door is another opportunity for a retailer or restaurant to move into the area.

It is difficult to say why White Tower closed. My opinion is that dining in Winnipeg has changed to include more sports minded choices. And by this I mean that the Winnipeg Jets are transforming the landscape. Just recently a newspaper story talked about the Ichiban did a major reno to make sure they captured some of the Jets crowd that thought eating there meant a 2 hour allotment of time. The new Japanese restaurant has a pub-like component for a sportier crowd and faster turn-around time to get to the game.

I cannot say for certain that Asahi Japanese restaurant closed because of the Jets. My impression of that Charlewood restaurant that took over KFC's old spot is that competition from other Japanese places and a higher pricer fare hurt them. It certainly was a beautiful place inside. Several days ago I mentioned that Asahi was taken over by the Capital Grill. This appears to be the sportier choice of people nowadays with beer on tap.

The old downtown of Charleswood has had it's fair share of Greek family restaurants. Only Pappas remains as Matheo's and now White Tower have closed. So what will become of the White Tower? Well, the word is that it has taken over by longtime Charleswood business owner and resident Darcy Bruneau.

Old White Tower restaurant. Next door Redeemed closed as well.

The Bruneau family owned the Charleswood Hotel for 17 years and continue to operate hotels in the province elsewhere. The hotel is now the site of a 20 pump Co-Op Gas, convenience store and car wash.

When White Tower closed, Bruneau bought the place. Shortly after that, the clothing store Redeemed closed next door. This represented an opportunity to expand the footprint of the restaurant. The signage on the build reads Boulevard Pub Bistro. By all account they have been on tap and will be an upscale pub and bistro experience. A sportier crowd will also be able to watch Jets and Bombers games inside.

It will be interesting to see how these new restaurants will do and if this is the beginning of a new trend of places geared to the sport crowd.

Capital Grill and Bar Opening Soon

Formerly Asahi Japanese Restaurant

It sat empty over the winter but spring has seen some construction at the former Asahi Japanese Restaurant. The signs have gone up and a Facebook page started to promote the opening of Capital Grill and Bar. By all accounts it will be a place to get a beer on tap.

The Asahi was a fine restaurant and a gorgeous space but struggled to stay busy every night of the week. Prior to being a Japanese restaurant it was the long time home of KFC in Charleswood. The entire mall had a makeover and the only survivor was Subway. A Starbucks took over the former Robin's location.

The closure of the Charleswood Hotel had left a real gap in the watering hole department. The arrival of the Winnipeg Jets has also created real demand for a place to watch the game, have a drink and share some food. Some people have migrated to Sorrento's at the Charleswood Mall. Others have probably gone further afield.

The closure of the Asahi has made room for the sportier crowd. It will be race to see who opens first as there is another restaurant about to open just down the street. More on that in a future post.

There is a limited supply of rental space in Charleswood. For the last few years, the vacancy rate has been generally good but to be sure, there are not as many places for dinner and drinks. Pappas, a Greek restaurant has been a mainstay. Just recently White Tower restaurant closed. For the older crowd, some might remember Matheos on Roblin Boulevard near the west park entrance. Nowadays  it is occupied by company offices.

So welcome Capital and hope that new traditions in the neighbourhood are formed.

Old Charleswood Library Closing, New One to Open Soon

Location of new Charleswood Library

Before 2011, Canada Post and Rogers Video here

In 2011 there was some angst in Charleswood about Charleswood Square at Dieppe and Roblin about multiple closings in Charleswood Square. The mini-retail and service area in the middle of the suburb had seen a Canada Post and a Rogers Video close in addition to other retailers. Empty storefronts abounded.

The call for something to be done went out but what can the city do when businesses leave a retail site? Well, the answer apparently is build a new branch library for Charleswood.

Built in the corner of Charleswood Square

The question of what to do with the old Charleswood library was a big one. It was old, small but centrally located. In the case of the old fire hall, the decision was to knock it down and built on the old site. It was probably possible to do that on the old site but only if the old Charleswood Municipal building came down as well. That part of the building houses the Charleswood Historical Society as well as the Charleswood Seniors Centre.

The building of such a complex would have been costly and there is no question that parking was already at a bare minimum what with a bus circle in the lot.

The struggling Charleswood Square immediately next door seemed to be the answer. It had a traffic light at Dieppe for controlled turns onto Roblin Boulevard. It was very close to the bus loop where the old library was not to mention the Charleswood Seniors Centre.

Given the size of the mall, it was decided to triple the space of the library.

The old library is now closed and the transfer of books and staff begins in earnest. The library is expected to open January 9.

The building of the police building on Grant, the fire hall on Roblin and now the library represents the biggest infrastructure commitment from the city since Charleswood became a part of the city in 1972.