Transcona, Winnipeg


Transcona is a suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, located about 10 kilometres 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 Transcona in 1961. Today it is represented by the Transcona city ward, represented by a member of Winnipeg City Council, and, with much larger boundaries including large areas that were part of the Municipality of North Kildonan, much of the area west of Plessis, the Transcona neighbourhood cluster. It is primarily a working class residential area 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. Its name is derived from combining Transcontinental with Strathcona, the name of Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona, a former Manitoban who was instrumental in building the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today the Canadian National Railway is still a major employer in the community. a Class N-5-c, 2-8-0 steam locomotive on display at the corner of Plessis Road and Kildare Avenue in the Kiwanis Park courtesy of the Winnipeg Railway Museum. The locomotive is the first steam locomotive built in 1926, totally at CNR Transcona Shops.

Timeline

1907 - Canadian Pacific builds additional railway tracks near district in the
1908 - Grand Trunk Pacific decides on Transcona as location for railway shops and buys of land. Name of Transcona adopted for future town. Townsite was originally to be created in what is now the South Transcona area, but this area was low lying and subject to flooding so main townsite was moved north of shops.
1909 - Haney, Quinlan and Robertson start work on excavation for the foundation of the new shops
1910 - first steel pillar is raised in the new shop building, and the post office opened
1911 - first Board of Trade is organized.
1912 - 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 Pointe du Bois generating station of Winnipeg Hydro. Central School officially opened but classes do not begin until 1913.
1913 - GTP 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 near Transcona in the Municipality of Springfield and the Municipality of Kildonan. 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.
1914 - Sewage system installed
1915-1918 - GTP shops engaged in manufacture of munitions
1919 - 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 until 1928 by provincially-appointed administrators
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.
1942 - is commissioned, a named for the town. The vessel participates in anti-submarine combat in the North Atlantic in December 1944.
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

In 2016, Transcona was home to 36,280 people. 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 expansion is limited by the presence of the Red River Floodway and the Perimeter Highway.

Education and government

Transcona is part of the Elmwood-Transcona federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons by Daniel Blaikie of the New Democratic Party of Canada. In the Manitoba Legislature, the representatives are Daryl Reid and partly by Bidhu Jha, of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba.
In 1959, the Transcona-Springfield School Division was created, supported jointly by the Town of Transcona and the Rural Municipality of Springfield for high school education only, and administered by a School Board of nine officials. The Transcona School District No. 39 remained for elementary and junior high students. The School Division and Transcona School District merged in 1967. In 2002, the Transcona part of the former Transcona-Springfield School Division and the River East School Division were united as the River East Transcona School Division.

Elementary schools

The neighbourhood has produced several celebrities, including sports commentator Rod Black, former MuchMusic on-air personality Bradford How, Canadian athlete and cancer research activist Terry Fox, professional wrestler Kenny Omega, and Olympic speed skater Susan Auch.
In 2005, following in the style of CBC's The Greatest Canadian series, the Transcona Historical Museum sponsored their own local version called "The Greatest Transconian." The award was given to citizen . Mr. Martin was a Second World War veteran with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, a long-serving City Councillor, former Mayor of Transcona, and member of the School Board. He was influential in creating the Transcona Historical Museum.
Professional wrestler Kenny Omega was born and raised in Transcona, and in 2018 became the first Canadian-born IWGP Heavyweight Champion in the title's history. This follows a career in Japanese professional wrestling that includes a number of championship wins across weight classes.

Sport and recreation

Transcona is the home of Football Manitoba sports team the Transcona Nationals which has age groups ranging from 7 to 21.
Three major community clubs and two indoor arenas can be found in 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 to September 10, 2011, Transcona was represented by the Transcona Railers Hockey team in the MMJHL who played 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. A team of railers alumni applied for membership into the MMJHL. On January 7, 2012, the league board accepted the new Transcona franchise for the 2012-2013 season. The new team plays at the newly renovated east end arena in the new side of the building.
TeamFoundedLeagueArenaChampionships
Transcona Railers1983–2011MMJHLRolland Mitchener arena3
Transcona Railer Express2012MMJHLEast End Arena0