Metropolitan Corporation of Greater

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

was a governing body that served as part of the leadership for the metropolitan area of

. It was established by Premier Douglas Campbell after he was given a commission to do so by the Greater Winnipeg Investigating Commission. It was dissolved when its component municipalities were amalgamated into one "unicity" in 1972.

is a city in

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

History

In August 1955 the Greater Winnipeg Investigating Commission was appointed by Premier Douglas Campbell to design and recommend a metropolitan level of governance for the Greater Winnipeg area. Commission members included Mayor George Sharpe of

, Mayor J. G. Belleghem of St. Boniface, Mayor Thomas Findlay of St. James, Councillor C. N. Kushner of

West Kildonan West Kildonan is a residential suburb within the Old Kildonan and Mynarski city wards of Winnipeg, Manitoba, lying on the west side of the Red River, and immediately north of the old City of Winnipeg in the north-central part of the city. It ...

, and J. L. Bodie, former Mayor of

East Kildonan East Kildonan is a primarily residential community in northeast Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Commonly known by its initials EK, the suburb has a population of approximately 35,800 as of the 2016 Census. East Kildonan is bounded from the Red Ri ...

. Their report was released at the end of March 1959. When implemented, it was the third form of metropolitan government instituted on the North American continent after Toronto (1954) and

Dade County, Florida Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in ...

(1957). The original name for the governing entity would have been The Corporation of Metropolitan Winnipeg. However the Mayors did not like this name and had it changed in March 1960 to the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg. In 1960, the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg was established by Manitoba's Metropolitan Winnipeg Act as a separate layer of municipal government in the metropolitan area of

. Bill 62 entered Second Reading stage in February 1960. Metro Winnipeg consisted of the City of Winnipeg and various surrounding municipalities, including Brooklands,

Tuxedo Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal element ...

, Charleswood,

Transcona Transcona is a ward and suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, located about east of the downtown area. Until 1972, it was a separate municipality, having been incorporated first as the Town of Transcona on 6 April 1912 and then as the City of Tr ...

North Kildonan North Kildonan is a city ward in northern Winnipeg, and a former municipality in Manitoba, Canada. Its population was of 2016 was 44,664. History What is now North Kildonan was originally part of the Rural Municipality of Kildonan. In 1914, the ...

Old Kildonan Old Kildonan is the northernmost city ward of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Before the ''City of Winnipeg Act'' of 1972, it was an independent unincorporated municipality called the Municipality of Old Kildonan; prior to that, from 1914, it was a subdivis ...

Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant ...

, Saint Vital and

Fort Garry Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company's ...

. During the period of its existence, it provided services such as transit, parks, water and other municipal services to residents. Bonnycastle Park Plaque

Metro government was established in November 1960 and absorbed the ''Greater Winnipeg Transit Commission'' on Jan. 1, 1961. During this time it operated under a Committees Council system, with six divisions reporting to an executive director. It ceased to exist upon the introduction of a unified municipal government (popularly known as " Unicity") by the Province of

under Premier Ed Schreyer, effective Jan. 1, 1972. The administration offices were located at 100 Main Street. The building was the administrative headquarters of the City of Winnipeg Streets & Transportation Department until 2007-2008 when the city handed it over to the Friends of Upper Fort Garry to make way for an expanded

Upper Fort Garry Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company' ...

Heritage park. On January 1, 1972 Metro was dissolved in favour of combining all municipalities under one city. All former City, RM, and Town Acts were repealed.

Responsibilities

Metro's responsibilities included: Planning for all major thoroughfares and bridge crossings. Operation of major and emerging parks over in size:

Assiniboine Park Assiniboine Park (formerly known as City Park) is a park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, located along the Assiniboine River. The Winnipeg Public Parks Board was formed in 1893, and purchased the initial land for the park in 1904. Although in use ...

Kildonan Park Kildonan Park is a park in the West Kildonan area of northern Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Established in 1909 as a park, it features the Peguis Pavilion, Rainbow Stage, the Witch's Hut, an Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool, duck pond, and s ...

, St. Vital Park,

Crescent Drive Park A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...

. Property assessment. Provision of water, sewage, garbage, and public transit services to metro area municipalities.

Legacy

Metro Winnipeg attempted to introduce a co-ordinated approach planning between its member municipalities, and to that end it created several planning documents. Those documents included the Downtown Winnipeg Plan, the Winnipeg Area Transportation Study, and District Area Plans for the suburban municipalities of metropolitan Winnipeg. Metro Winnipeg was responsible for the operation of

Metro Winnipeg Transit Winnipeg Transit is the public transit agency, and the bus-service provider, of the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Established years ago, it is owned by the city government and currently employs nearly 1,600 people—including approximately 1,10 ...

. Metro was involved in the initial plans for the

Winnipeg Convention Centre The RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg (formerly the Winnipeg Convention Centre) is a major meeting and convention centre located in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It has five levels including indoor parking for 729 vehicles, and three levels ...

. Under Metro the Transit garage on Assiniboine Avenue was closed. A new and larger Metro Transit Base on Osborne St. was opened in 1969. The route numbering system in place today was originally introduced as the Metro Route system. Testing went on during the 1960s, with final sign design and route numbering plan completed in July 1967 weeks before the start of the Pan Am Games.

References

External links

Metropolitan Government in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Friends of Upper Fort Garry
{{Authority control Municipal government of Winnipeg Metropolitan areas of Manitoba Winnipeg

History

Responsibilities

Legacy

See also

References

External links