Whyte Ridge is a

residential area A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family residen ...

in the

Waverley West Waverley West is a city ward and suburb in southwest Winnipeg, Manitoba. The area was approved by the Government of Manitoba in 2005, and is scheduled to be constructed over a 20-year period. With a projected population of 40 000 in 2009, the su ...

ward in the southwest corner of

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 ...

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 ...

. The subdivision was built on former farmland, just south of a small townsite that was historically known as Fort Whyte. The first homes in the subdivision were constructed in 1986. The final homes in the subdivision were constructed in 2007, making a total of approximately 1,500 homes.

History

The name of Whyte Ridge was derived from William Whyte, who led a "bloodless battle" over railway rights in 1888 on land that is adjacent to the current-day neighbourhood. Subsequent to the battle of Fort Whyte, a small townsite called Fort Whyte appeared, which included a few dozen homes and a

grain elevator A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits ...

. (The grain elevator burned to the ground in March 2000, but the original homes of the townsite are still found in Whyte Ridge along McGillivray Boulevard, just to the north of the newer subdivision.) Effective October 2018, Whyte Ridge became part of the

city ward.

Demographics

According to the 2016 Census, there are 7,690 people living in Whyte Ridge. Whyte Ridge is one of Winnipeg's wealthier neighbourhoods, the average household income is $86,534, which is about 1.7 times greater than the average income across the whole city.

Community and amenities

Two large man-made lakes—simply named East Lake and West Lake—were excavated for the development and a ridge was created from the earth that was removed. While no fish have been stocked in either lake, because they drain out to the Red River through underground pipes, fish have made their way into the lakes.

Brown bullhead The brown bullhead (''Ameiurus nebulosus'') is a fish of the family Ictaluridae that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead (''Ameiurus melas'') and yellow bullhead (''Ame ...

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

and

northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...

are some of the species of fish that have been identified in the lakes. The lakes are also a popular place for

Canada geese The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...

mallard duck The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argen ...

coot Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, Rallidae. They constitute the genus ''Fulica'', the name being the Latin term for "coot". Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usually ...

s, and other assorted

fowl Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together ...

, many of which come to Whyte Ridge from the nearby

FortWhyte Alive FortWhyte Alive is an environmental, education and recreation centre a1961 McCreary Rd.The large park and recreation facility is located in southwest Winnipeg along the migratory path of Canada geese. Natural features FortWhyte's of prairie, l ...

Wildlife Centre. The neighbourhood contains an elementary school (kindergarten to grade 4) called Whyte Ridge School, and a middle school (grades 5–9) called Henry G. Izatt ("HGI") School. Both schools are found on Scurfield Boulevard, and have full-sized soccer fields and basketball hoops which are used by the community. In addition, HGI sports a

softball diamond Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

on its grounds. Whyte Ridge Community Center, located on Fleetwood Road, currently contains a clubhouse, toboggan slide, full sized soccer field, tyke sized soccer field, outdoor basketball court and outdoor hockey rink, along with two parking lots. Further development of the community centre site is in the planning stages. The neighbourhood has five playgrounds: one is found adjacent to the community centre on Cloverwood Road, one is found near HGI School adjacent to the softball diamond, two are found at Whyte Ridge Elementary School, and one is found to the south of the East Lake, on Columbia Drive. The neighbourhood currently has one church, namely the Whyte Ridge Baptist Church on Scurfield Boulevard at Apple Hill Road. The church congregation has bought land north of Whyte Ridge on McGillivray Boulevard, where a larger church was planned. In addition, St. Gianna Beretta Molla Roman Catholic ParishSt. Gianna Roman Catholic Church
/ref> was completed on vacant land that borders McGillivray Boulevard, Columbia Drive and Scurfield Boulevard. Lastly, a Presbityrian church was planned next door to St. Gianna's, also on McGillivray. There is no estimated time of construction for any of these churches. Whyte Ridge residents of note include World Champion curler

Cathy Overton-Clapham Cathy Overton-Clapham (born Cathy Overton, July 19, 1969) nicknamed "Cathy O" is a Canadian curler. Overton-Clapham is one of Manitoba's most decorated female curlers, with one world championship, five national championships, and thirteen Scot ...

Crime

''All rates per 100,000'' Whyte Ridge is one of Winnipeg's safest neighbourhoods. Crime rates are very low.

References

{{WinnipegNeighbourhoods Neighbourhoods in Winnipeg Waverley West, Winnipeg

History

Demographics

Community and amenities

Crime

See also

References