There is plenty of history in the St. Boniface area. Up until the time of the Europeans exploring this area, various indigenous people lived in the forest areas around St. Boniface. It was also an area frequented by fur traders. There are landmarks found here including the mint and cathedral. This area is the Southeast part of Winnipeg. It also features a large industrial area.
In February an annual event called the Festival du Voyageur is held here at Whittier Park. St. Boniface is also an area that attracts plenty of visitors to the art galleries. There are several well-known museums here too including the Le Musee de Saint-Boniface Museum. The two most common shopping areas here are Dominion Shopping Centre and Boulevard Provencher.
The area consists of many families that speak French. In fact, it is the largest French speaking area on the West side of Thunder Bay. Many of the families have at least one adult that works in the various industrial part of Norwood. There are nine schools in the St. Boniface region – 2 high school, 2 junior high, and 5 grade school level. This area also has a low crime rate which is very encouraging.
On the East side is St. Boniface Industrial park and it offers plenty of forms of public transportation. The railway comes to this location for rail shipping. This is a prime access hub for many of the railway systems so that products can be distributed around North America. This is also a location for semi-trucks to come through across Highway #59, Perimeter Highway, and the Trans-Canada Highway.
There are numerous types of businesses found at the St. Boniface Industrial Park. They vary in size and they can be customized to fit the needs of the business. All of the roads along this location are oversized to make it easy to get semi-trucks and machinery into the area. There is also bus service that goes to this area which makes it very easy for employees to get to and from their jobs.
Around the early part of the 20th Century, industrialization occurred in the area of St. Boniface. In 1912 and 1913 the Union Stock Yards were created. Today, this is the largest livestock exchange in Canada. It is also the heart of the meat processing industry.
With the growth of industrialization around St. Boniface, the need for homes also expanded. Here is a look at some of the different neighbourhoods that make up this portion of Winnipeg.
Royalwood
Along the bank of the Seine River is Royalwood which is very upscale. The area was built in the 1990s and features approximately 1,300 beautiful homes. It was the first area to use a wetland system that allows for native grasses and plants to be preserved in this part of Winnipeg. It also has lots of wildlife and parks. At the same time, shopping, schools, and main roads aren’t very far away.
The abundance of both open space and privacy are very attractive in Royalwood. The community does have several plans in the works for growth. There is a wide range of people in this neighbourhood including young couples, families, and mature couples. The community is very friendly and inviting.
Southdale
The community known as Southdale was created in the 1960s. It was the first community of its kind around the Winnipeg area. This park of St. Boniface was inhabited by politicians, businessmen, and other prestigious figures. The location is off the beaten path yet still offers access to the University of Manitoba and downtown.
Today, many students also live here due to that convenience. Since it is also close to the industrial area, there are many working class families here. In the past 5 years there has been significant growth in this part of St. Boniface. There are roughly 3,000 homes here with hundreds more to be added over the next few years.
Southdale also offers small plazas that are along the roadways. This offers fast and convenient access to various shopping locations such as Southdale Centre, Southdale Square, and Niakwa Park Plaza. There are also several golf clubs including Windsor Park Golf Course and Niakwa Golf & Country Club located here.
Windsor Park
The area between Windsor Park golf course and St. Boniface is known as Windsor Park. This is a lovely community that was developed in the 1950s and 1960s. It was one of the first communities that Winnipeg planned to create. The idea was to use the bay area to reduce traffic. They also created streets that made it very convenient to reach the various parks, schools, and recreational locations within the community. There are close to 4,000 homes in Windsor Park.
Sage Creek
To the Southeast is Sage Creek, and it continues to be a work in progress. However, the future of this community is one that looks very prosperous. There will be plenty of new homes and condos built over the next several years. They are going to be surrounding the Village Centre and there will be many trees and walking paths.
The idea is to give Sage Creek the look and feel of a small town. Currently, there are only around 2000 homes in this part of St. Boniface. At the present time, children attend other St. Boniface schools. There are plans for the near future to build schools to accompany the kids of Sage Creek.
Island Lakes
Located to the Southeast, next to Sage Creek is Island Lakes. This area offers simple accessibility to various cross town routes. In just a few minutes you can get to the St. Vital Centre. This development was created with that purpose in mind in 1985. The 580 acre subdivision was developed by Novament Development Corp.
It offers plenty of styles of homes, walkways, and lakes for canoeing and other activities. There is also a 5 acre grass area that is ideal for bird watching. With 2,500 homes it is a great part of St. Boniface to reside. The area continues to grow often too. For example, Island Lakes Community School was opened in 2001 and a new addition has already been done to accommodate more students. There is also a 16 acre park that includes tennis courts, a baseball field, and basketball courts right next to it.
$405,000 is the average price of a home in St. Boniface. However, the prices vary based on the neighbourhood and the various amenities that are offered. The area of Sage Creek offers homes that start about $769,000 so it is a more expensive area. Riverwood is also an upscale area that offers homes starting around $600,000.