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 ...
's North End is a large urban area located to the north and northwest of
Downtown Winnipeg
Downtown Winnipeg is an area of Winnipeg located near the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. It is the oldest urban area in Winnipeg, and is home to the city's commercial core, city hall, the seat of Manitoba's provincial government, a ...
.
[ Paskievich, John. The North End Revisited, Photographs by John Paskievich. University of Manitoba Press, Winnipeg 2017.] It is bordered by the
Red River on the east, the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
(CPR) mainline on the south, the City of Winnipeg boundary (Brookside Boulevard) on the west and Jefferson Avenue, Keewatin Street, Carruthers Avenue, McGregor Street and the lane between McAdam and Smithfield Avenues on the north. It is the northern section of the City of Winnipeg as it existed prior to the
1972 municipal amalgamation. Winnipeg's northern suburbs such as
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
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 ...
are not considered part of the North End. The CPR mainline and its Winnipeg yards, which are one of the largest railway yards in the world, act as a physical barrier between the North End and the rest of Winnipeg to the south.
[Gourluck, Russ. The Mosaic Village, An Illustrated History of Winnipeg’s North End. Great Plains Publications, Winnipeg, 2010, page 14.] This has resulted in the North End remaining a very distinct and unique part of Winnipeg.
The areas to the east of McPhillips Street are considered the Old North End, and were developed in the late 19th century and early 20th century, while the areas to the west were generally developed in the 1940s and later. The North End is primarily residential, though there is some light industrial development in Inkster Industrial Park and adjacent to Oak Point Highway and Brookside Boulevard.
History
The site of the North End was part of the
Selkirk Settlement
The Red River Colony (or Selkirk Settlement), also known as Assiniboia, Assinboia, was a colonization project set up in 1811 by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, on of land in British North America. This land was granted to Douglas by the Hud ...
, which was established in 1812. The boundaries of the narrow farm lots surveyed by Peter Fidler early in the 19th century form many of the east-west streets in the North End, and many of these streets are named after settlers who lived in the area, such as Pritchard, Inkster, and Bannerman. The North End is located in the
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
Parish of St. John, and much of the North End was referred to as "St. John's" in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The
City of Winnipeg was incorporated, and its northern boundary was Burrows Avenue. Gradually the boundary of the City of Winnipeg was extended north and parts of the North End today are in the Parish of Kildonan. It is one of the oldest settled parts of Winnipeg. It was the location of
Fort Douglas
Camp Douglas was established in October 1862, during the American Civil War, as a small military garrison about three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah, to protect the overland mail route and telegraph lines along the Central Overland Route. In ...
, built by the
Selkirk settlers in 1812. The present-day North End was divided into long, narrow farming lots occupied by Selkirk Settlers.
The arrival of the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
to Winnipeg would have a significant impact on the development of the North End as a largely working class neighbourhood. The main railway passed through what was then the northern end of the small City of Winnipeg. The presence of this busy railroad and associated rail yards would effectively divide the North End from the rest of the city. As Winnipeg began to experience rapid growth in the late 19th century, the North End began to develop as a largely working class residential area, beginning in the 1880s. Streetcar service on Main Street commenced in 1892, although early patrons were forced to walk across the railway tracks for transportation to Downtown Winnipeg until completion of the Main Street underpass in 1904.
![Main Street Subway, Winnipeg, looking south, circa 1910](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Main_Street_Subway%2C_Winnipeg%2C_looking_south%2C_circa_1910.jpg)
By the 1910s the area was heavily developed and had a large population of immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe. The area was known for its high incidences of extreme poverty and relatively high prevalence of diseases such as
typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
and
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
. In the
Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, the North End, as a working class area, was largely pro-strike.
[Penner, Norman (ed.). Winnipeg 1919: The strikers’ own history of The Winnipeg General Strike, Second Edition. James Lorimer & Company, Publishers, Toronto 1975.]
The area has long been acknowledged as the most socially deprived part of the city of Winnipeg. Parts of the area, especially east of McPhillips Street and south of Mountain Avenue are marked by high drug use and its associated crime and
gang violence
A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...
. Since the 1980s, attempts to revitalize parts of the North End have been made with many grassroot organizations sprouting up along with many not-for-profit organizations. Together with neighbourhood grants and the grants through Manitoba Hydro, the area has seen a major improvement in its housing. Manitoba Hydro's grant alone accounted for a large number of homes to be totally insulated and have their furnaces upgraded.
The North End was considered Ward Three in the Old City of Winnipeg and historically voted for left of centre parties. It was represented by
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada (french: Parti communiste du Canada) is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1921 under conditions of illegality. Although it does not currently have any parliamentary representation, the party's can ...
aldermen (
Jacob Penner
Jacob Penner (August 12, 1880 – August 28, 1965) was a popular international socialist politician in Canada. A founder of the Social Democratic Party of Canada and the Communist Party of Canada, Penner was elected to the Winnipeg city counci ...
and
Joseph Zuken
Joseph Zuken (December 12, 1912 – March 24, 1986) was a popular Communist politician in Winnipeg and the longest serving elected Communist party politician in North America. He served on the Winnipeg city council from 1961 to 1983.
Joe Zuk ...
) from 1933 to 1983. The area also elected communists
James Litterick
James Litterick (born 15 July 1901; date of death unknown) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada, and was the first member of the Communist Party of Canada to be elected to that province's legislature.
Biography
Early life
Litterick was born in ...
and
Bill Kardash
William Arthur Kardash (June 10, 1912 – January 17, 1997) was a politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1941 until 1958. He served as Winnipeg MLA from 1941 to 1958, as Worker's Candidate at first, then as a represe ...
to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. From the 1990s until recently, the area has tended to support the
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
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in Federal elections.
Neighbourhoods
The boundaries of the North End contain 18 neighbourhoods:
North Point Douglas
North Point Douglas is a small neighbourhood located in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
North Point Douglas comprises the northern portion of a peninsula of the Red River. Its boundaries are Main Street (west), Redwood Avenue (north), the ...
,
Lord Selkirk Park, Dufferin, Dufferin Industrial and William Whyte, which are parts of the Point Douglas South neighbourhood cluster, Mynarski, Burrows Central, Robertson, Inkster-Faraday, St John's, St. Johns Park and Luxton, which are parts of the Point Douglas North neighbourhood cluster, Weston Shops, Inkster Industrial, Burrows-Keewatin and Shaughnessy Park of the Inkster East neighbourhood cluster, and
Tyndall Park
Tyndall Park is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created by redistribution in 2008 from parts of Inkster, Wellington, and St. James electoral districts. The riding's population, according to the 20 ...
and Oak Point Highway of the Inkster West neighbourhood cluster. The neighborhoods in bold are a part of the "Old North End".
[Paquette, A.J., ''Markings : scenes and recollections of Winnipeg's North End'', Loch & Mayberry Fine Art Inc., Winnipeg, 1995.]
Crime
In 2011, there were 18 homicides in the North End alone, making a rate per 100,000 people at 32.6,
[ ] but the following year there were 6, making the rate 10.2. Midway through 2013, dropped to 7.2. In 2018, there were 8 homicides in North End, making the homicide rate 14.4
In the Old North End in 2012, there were 374 robberies (1175.0 per 100,000 residents), 352 auto thefts (1105.9), 624 break-ins (1960.4) and 17 shootings (53.4).
[Crime in Winnipeg by Neighbourhoods (2012)](_blank)
, info gathered fro
CrimeStat
Retrieved December 3rd, 2013
Although the North End is infamous for its crime rates to Winnipeggers, crime in the North End, especially violent crimes, are much more densely concentrated in its southern and eastern halves: south of Mountain Avenue and east of Arlington Street, which constitute the neighborhoods of Dufferin, Lord Selkirk Park, North Point Douglas and William Whyte. The table below shows the crime rates of various crimes in each of the North End neighborhoods. The crime data spans 5 years from the year 2017 to the year 2021. The rates are ''crimes per 100,000 residents per year''.
Demographics
The population of the North End according to the 2006 Census, is 55,240 people (Old North End: 31,830).
Famous North-Enders
Game show host and producer
Monty Hall
Monty Hall (born Monte Halparin; August 25, 1921 – September 30, 2017) was a Canadian radio and television show host who moved to the United States in 1955 to pursue a career in broadcasting. After working as a radio newsreader and sport ...
, novelist
Adele Wiseman
Adele Wiseman (May 21, 1928 – June 1, 1992) was a Canadian author.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she received a BA in English literature and psychology from the University of Manitoba in 1949. Her parents were Russian Jews who emigrated from ...
, comedian
David Steinberg
David Steinberg (born August 9, 1942) is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, director, and author. At the height of his popularity, during the late 1960s and mid 1970s, he was one of the best-known comics in the United States. He appeared on ...
, journalist
Larry Zolf
Larry Zolf (July 19, 1934 – March 14, 2011)
, politician
Lloyd Axworthy
Lloyd Norman Axworthy (born December 21, 1939) is a Canadian politician, elder statesman and academic. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Following his retirement from parliament ...
, musician
Burton Cummings
Burton Lorne Cummings (born December 31, 1947) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for leading The Guess Who during that band's most successful period from 1965 to 1975, and for a lengthy solo career.
Cummings has ...
of
the Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1965. The band originated in 1962 and achieved an international hit single with a cover of "Shakin' All Over" in 1965 under the name Chad Allan and the Expressions. After c ...
, scientist
Louis Slotin
Louis Alexander Slotin (1 December 1910 – 30 May 1946) was a Canadian physicist and chemist who took part in the Manhattan Project. Born and raised in the North End of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Slotin earned both his Bachelor of Science and M ...
and
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
players
Bill Mosienko
William Mosienko (November 2, 1921 – July 9, 1994) was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Black Hawks. He is best noted for recording the fastest hat trick in ...
and
Terry Sawchuk
Terrance Gordon Sawchuk (December 28, 1929 – May 31, 1970) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kin ...
.
The
Genie Award
The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...
winning documentary ''
Ted Baryluk's Grocery'' was filmed in the area.
Katherena Vermette
Katherena Vermette (born 29 January 1977) is a Canadian writer, who won the Governor General's Award for English-language poetry in 2013 for her collection ''North End Love Songs''.[Governor General's Award for English-language poetry
This is a list of recipients and nominees of the Governor General's Awards award for English-language poetry. The award was created in 1981 when the Governor General's Award for English language poetry or drama was divided.As It Happens
''As It Happens'' is a Canadian interview show that airs on CBC Radio One in Canada and various public radio stations in the United States through Public Radio Exchange. Its 50th anniversary was celebrated on-air on November 16, 2018. It has been ...]
'', November 13, 2013.
References
http://www.winnipeghomicide.org/maps.html
External links
Ted Baryluk's GroceryThe Jews of Winnipeg
{{WinnipegNeighbourhoods
Jewish communities in Canada
Jews and Judaism in Winnipeg
Neighbourhoods in Winnipeg
Ukrainian-Canadian culture in Manitoba
Urban decay in Canada