Transcona, Winnipeg

Transcona is a suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada located about 10 kilometres (6 miles) east of the downtown area. Until 1972 it was a separate municipality, having been incorporated first as the Town of Transcona in 1912 and then as the City of Transcona in 1961. Today it is represented by the Transcona city ward, represented by a member of Winnipeg City Council, and, with slightly different boundaries, the Transcona neighbourhood cluster. It is primarily a working class residential suburb with some light industry.

History

Transcona was founded in 1909 as the site of the repair shops for the Grand Trunk Pacific and National Transcontinental Railways.^[1] Its name is derived from combining Transcontinental with Strathcona, the name of Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona, a former Manitoban who was instrumental in building Canada's first railway. Today the successor to these railways, Canadian National Railway, is still a major employer in the community. CNR 2747 a Class N-5-c, 2-8-0 steam locomotive on display at the corner of Plessis Road and Kildare Ave. in the Kiwanis Park courtesy of the Winnipeg Railway Museum. The locomotive is the first steam locomotive built totally in the west at CNR Transcona Shops in 1926.

Timeline

1907 - Canadian Pacific builds railway through district (CPR).

1908 - Grand Trunk Pacific (GTP) decides on Transcona as location for railway shops and buys 800 acres (3.2 km²) of land. Name of Transcona adopted for future town.

1909 - Hanley Quinlan and Robertson start work on excavation for the foundation of the new shops.

1910 - On January 1 the first steel pillar is raised in the new shop building, and the Post Office opened.

1911 - On February 10 the first Board of Trade is organized.

1912 - On April 6 the Town of Transcona receives its charter, and on November 12 Municipal offices and Fire Hall opened for Public Inspection. The first electric light and power installed from Point du Bois. Central School officially opened but classes do not begin until 1913.

1913 - On January 18 Canadian National Railway (CNR) shops opened, on April 10 Mayor Transcona presents Morley Donaldson, Vice-President of GTP, with golden key as memento of shop opening. CPR builds grain elevator and opens yards. In October, the grain elevator tilts due to failure of its foundations, becoming a textbook example of the importance of soil mechanics. It is later restored.^[2]

1914 - Sewage system installed.

1915-1918 - CNR shops engaged in manufacture of munitions.

1918 - Shoal Lake water connection for Town. Transcona athletic organization.

1919 - Biggest sports field in Transcona's history held.

1921 - Having run out of money, the town council dissolves and the town is run by administrators from the province until 1927.^[3]

1926 - First locomotive built in CNR shops.

1929 - New post office built

1930 - Transcona Horticultural Society organized

1933 - Effects of the Great Depression hit Transcona. At the peak the town is paying the rent for 192 families.^[4]

1942 - HMCS Transcona is commissioned, a Bangor-class minesweeper named for the town. It participates in antisubmarine combat in the North Atlantic in December 1944. ^[5]

1950 - The Red River floods. Some Winnipeg residents are temporarily sheltered in Transcona churches.

1961 - Becomes City of Transcona

1972 - Amalgamated with the City of Winnipeg along with 11 other communities.

Geography and population

Transcona is home to 32,078 residents as of the 2001 census (source Statistics Canada) and is continuing to expand. Though the majority of the area consists of houses built several decades ago, there are newer developments located in the east and northwest sections of the community including Canterbury Park, Lakeside Meadows and Mission Gardens. Transcona's future development is limited by the presence of the Red River Floodway and the Perimeter Highway located immediately to the east of the built-up area.

Education and government

It is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by Lawrence Toet of the Conservative Party of Canada and in the Manitoba Legislature by Daryl Reid, of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba.

The neighbourhood has several elementary schools: Bernie Wolfe Community School, Ecole Centrale (Winnipeg), Ecole Margaret-Underhill, Harold Hatcher Elementary School, Joseph Teres School, Radisson School, Wayoata Elementary School, Westview Elementary School (Winnipeg), and middle schools: Arthur Day Middle School, Bernie Wolfe Community School, Ecole Regent Park School, John W. Gunn Middle School, and three high schools; Transcona Collegiate Institute (TCI), Murdoch MacKay Collegiate, and the French-immersion Collège Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau--the first public building named after the former Prime Minister.

In 1959, the Transcona-Springfield School Division was created. School Division No.12 was a joint amalgamation between the town of Transcona and the Municipality of Springfield. Although a School Board of nine officials overlooked the joint amalgamation, the administration of the Transcona School District No. 39 and Municipality of Springfield did not actually merge until 1967.^[6] In 2002, the Transcona-Springfield School Division and River East School Division united together and became the River East Transcona School Division.

People who grew up in Transcona

The neighbourhood has produced several minor celebrities, including sports commentator Rod Black, former MuchMusic on-air personality Bradford How, athletes Terry Fox and Olympic speed skater Susan Auch.

In 2005, on the heels of CBC's well known "The Greatest Canadian" series, the Transcona Historical Museum decided to sponsor their own local version: "The Greatest Transconian". Exemplifying the attributes of extraordinary character, service, and dedication, citizen Paul Martin was given the distinct honour of becoming the Greatest Transconian. Mr. Martin is a World War II veteran with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, a long serving City Councillor, former Mayor of Transcona, member of the School Board, and was influential in creating the Transcona Historical Museum.^[7]

Sport and recreation

Transcona is also the home of Football Manitoba sports team the Transcona Nationals which has age groups ranging from 7 all the way to 21.

Three major community clubs and two indoor arenas can be found within the neighbourhood. Park City West, Oxford Heights, and East End Community Clubs organize a variety of recreational activities, while East End and Roland Michener arenas host most on-ice activities.

From 1983 up until September 10, 2011, Transcona was represented by the Transcona Railers Hockey team in the MMJHL who play out of the Roland Michener Arena. They were disbanded because the team found it hard to draw players of the required skill levels and numbers.

Team	Founded	League	Arena	Championships
Transcona Railers	1983	MMJHL	Roland Michener Arena	3

See also

• For the film production company Transcona Enterprises, see Judy Garland
• Transcona (electoral district)
• Transcona Historical Museum

References

1. ^ http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/13/transconatour.shtml A Trip through Time in Transcona, retrieved 2010 Nov 10
2. ^ Alexander M. Puzrin, E. E. Alonso, Núria Pinyol Geomechanics of Failures, Springer, 2010 ISBN 9048135303, pp. 68-74
3. ^ http://www.mmcalumni.ca/v2/docs/ol/Transcona/transcona1920.pdf Transcona Council History 1920-1929 retrieved 2010 Nov 10
4. ^ http://www.mmcalumni.ca/v2/docs/ol/Transcona/transcona1930.pdf Transcona Council History 1930-1939 retrieved 2010 Nov 10
5. ^ Michael L. Hadley, U-Boats Against Canada: German Submarines in Canadian Waters, pages 260-264
6. ^ Shipley, Nan (1983). From Slate to Computer: In the Transcona-Springfield Area 1873-1983. Winnipeg, Canada: Transcona-Springfield School Division No.12. pp. 363-364. 
7. ^ Martin, Paul E. (1995). In Awe With Life. Canada. 

Coordinates: 49°53′44″N 97°00′19″W / 49.89556°N 97.00528°W / 49.89556; -97.00528