This District Plan is one of a series being prepared which when complete will provide detailed planning proposals for the whole of the Metropolitan area. The proposals are based upon the policies which have been adopted by the Greater Winnipeg Development Plan. The following is a summary of some of the major points of this District Plan:
Therefore, the number of units indicated must necessarily serve only as a guide to what might be achieved. in a given zoning category. These are related to the indications on Map 5. The term "low density" if expressed in terms of persons per acre will be about 40 persons maximum but can be considered to refer primarily to the broad range of single-family unit development and is intended to provide for a range of from 4 to 17 dwelling-units per acre depending on the type of housing. Variations from single-family uses within "low density" areas should be considered only in the special circumstances described in the "zoning" section of this Plan.
The District Plan for St. Boniface is one of a series which are being prepared following the adoption of the Greater Winnipeg Development Plan. Upon completion, This series of District Plans will provide a detailed plan for the whole of the Winnipeg area.
The Greater Winnipeg Development Plan is primarily concerned with the establishment of a general pattern of development policies such as land-use and transportation, from a metropolitan Winnipeg point of view, and the preparation of a District Plan such as this is the next stage in the planning process. The District Plan is concerned with the more detailed aspects of planning and development from a local point of view and both of these plans are considered to be complementary. The District Plan provides a guide by which the City of Winnipeg, the St. Boniface Community Committee and the private sector can work towards the orderly and economic development of St. Boniface.
The objective of this Plan is to provide a guide for the efficient, economic and desirable development of St. Boniface within the next twenty years. This guide will act within the context of the overall development of the Winnipeg Area which is in turn predicated on a forecasted population of 773,000 by 1991. During this period, however, the economic, social and technological assumptions used in the preparation of this Plan may become invalid. Therefore, in order to maintain the viability of this Plan, revision should be made at approximately five year intervals.
Located in the south-east quadrant of the Winnipeg area, St. Boniface has the distinction of having the largest French-speaking population outside the Province of Quebec. The location of St. Boniface within the City, and its population in relation to the historic Red and Seine Rivers can be seen from Map 1.
St. Boniface has a dual function. Firstly, it has prime heavy industrial areas which area well served with railways and roads. Secondly, St. Boniface has an important residential function.
In 1818, Bishop Provencher, a Jesuit priest from Montreal, arrived at the Red River Settlement thereby fulfilling a request made by Lord Selkirk for a spiritual leader. Bishop Provencher settled on the east side of the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, on lands granted to the Roman Catholic Church. This area was largely inhabited by Swiss-German soldiers who were allowed to homestead in return for defending the Red River Settlement. Bishop Provencher honored them by naming the east settlement after St. Boniface, the patron saint of Swiss-German Catholics. The first chapel of this community was erected shortly after the Bishop's arrival and it was dedicated to St. Boniface. Shortly thereafter, a school as well as St. Boniface College, was opened and operated by the Bishop. Fire razed the first wooden chapel, so a second chapel in cathedral style was built in 1819.
The St. Boniface colony belonged to the Quebec diocese, and the activities of the church and its French-speaking Bishop attracted many French-Canadian trappers and fur-traders. Many "coureurs de bois" settled in St. Boniface with their Metis wives, and until 1900, the majority of the population of St. Boniface was Metis. One very famous Metis of national prominence, was Louis Riel who was born in 1844.
In 1877, St. Boniface College, St. John's College and Manitoba College together founded the University of Manitoba. St. Boniface College is still located in the City of St. Boniface though maintaining its affiliation with the University of Manitoba. In 1878, St. Boniface witnessed the first arrival of a train from eastern Canada, which used a rail line through the United States and which had its western terminus in St. Boniface.
The latter part of the 19th Century saw great political changes affecting the St. Boniface Settlement. In 1880, the Rural Municipality of St. Boniface was established and the small settlement annexed the Parish of St. Vital to the south. In 1883, the Town of St. Boniface, with a population at the time of 600 persons, was granted separate legal status. Twenty years later, in 1903, the Rural Municipality of St. Boniface changed its name to the Rural Municipality of St. Vital to eliminate the confusion between the incorporated town and its surrounding rural municipality. In 1908, St. Boniface was incorporated as a City. In the same year the fourth of a series of cathedrals was built. The four impressive cathedrals surrounding one another on the same site has made St. Boniface well-known as the "cathedral city". The fourth cathedral, St. Boniface Basilica, was destroyed by fire in the Spring of 1968. A new edifice maintaining and using in its design the remains of the old church is currently under construction.
In 1914, the City of St. Boniface annexed a portion of the Rural Municipality of St. Vital. Its population had reached 12,000 persons. Up to 1900, development had been of a generally compact contiguous nature, with the bulk of development confined between the Red River, the C.N.R./Sprague Subdivision Line, and the Boulevard Provencher. Limited linear urban development occurred along such streets as St. Mary's, Take and Bourgeault (see Map #2 for details). In the first decade of the period 1900 - 1925, the rate of population growth of the Winnipeg area fostered an expectation that in 50 years' time the size of Winnipeg would exceed that of Chicago. This optimism coupled with urban development pressure, resulted in scattered urban development as far south as the Manitoba Hydro Transmission Line. Such optimism was unwarranted. A series of factors such as war, poor grain crops, and the opening of the Panama Canal, resulted in a limited expansion and between 1925 and 1950 urban development was limited to "infilling".
After 1950, the urban infilling continued, and, most of the residential expansion occurred in the extensive Windsor Park development. Unlike the preceding piecemeal development which used the grid road system, Windsor Park was a planned residential neighbourhood of streets set out in a system of bays. By 1965, most of Windsor Park had been developed except for the south-east sector of the area. Proposals have been put forth for multiple-residential and commercial development of this sector. By 1965 - 1966, urban development moved south across the Trans-Canada Highway to the Southdale area, several sections of which have been completed. the addition to residential development, the Canadian National Railway completed their Symington Transfer Yards of the modern, fully automated "hump" type in 1960 - 1964. Much new industrial development located in St. Boniface in this period as well.
In 1901 the population of the City of St. Boniface was 2,019 persons. A decade later it had tripled to 7,483 persons. This rate of growth slowed in the following decade, as the population grew to 12,827 persons by 1921. The slowest growth decades were in the inter-war periods.
During 1951 - 1961, the population swelled from 26,342 to 37,600 persons and to 43,214 by 1966. The population had reached 45,370 by 1969. In all periods the population growth rate of St. Boniface has exceeded the growth rate of the Metropolitan Winnipeg area at large.
This District Plan covers a period of 20 years and will be revised at approximately five-year intervals. The Future land Use Map 5 indicates the general uses and groupings of uses visualized for St. Boniface in the years to come. The legend for Map 5 indicates the variety of uses, existing and proposed, and in the cases of the groupings of multiple-residential uses, defines the upper limit of the residential densities.
This Plan envisages that St. Boniface will continue to maintain and expand its residential and industrial uses in the future. A mixture of single-family homes and multiple-family accommodation is expected with attendant park, school, commercial and other community facilities. The multiple-family housing will be directed to those areas where the increase in population density can be accommodated without disturbing neighbourhoods of single-family homes. As well, additional industrial development is expected for the vacant lands.
In St. Boniface, at present, 43% of the land area is developed. The present population of 46,000 persons is expected to grow to approximately 68,000 persons during the 20-year time span of this Plan.
There are probably three different general types of development which will occur in St. Boniface during the period of this Plan. The first is the the development of new residential and industrial subdivisions on land which is now vacant and used for agricultural purposes. Te second is the spasmodic development expected in the "transition areas" which are explained in a following paragraph. The third is a somewhat larger scale redevelopment such as that being considered in parts of the Provencher Local Planning Area.
Locations where the first type of development is expected to take place are as follows:
The second type of development, is the "Transition Areas" which were originally developed many years ago but in which continuing change is now being experienced. These "Transition Areas" are indicated on Map 5. They are formerly single-family residential areas which have been undergoing a change through the introduction of multiple-family uses. This transition stage is expected to continue through a process of private redevelopment through construction of multiple-family structures.
The third type of development is the redevelopment which will be necessary in parts of the Provencher Local Planning Area. This has been the subject f an Urban Renewal Study and is currently under re-examination as a result of transportation proposals which are being considered in the area and which will have a significant effect on any other land-use proposals for the area.
The term "low density", which appears on all proposal maps, includes low-density such as single-family, duplexes, semi-detached units, and other types of housing in this general density range, usually less than 40 persons to the gross acre or within the range of 4 - 17 units to the acre, depending upon unit type. "Low density areas" are now and will continue to be primarily single-family. It is desirable, particularly in new and/or redeveloping areas, to permit a variation in housing types. New development in "low density" areas should not be considered at high densities; the top of the permitted range should not exceed about 40 persons to the gross acre. The number of units per acre which could appear within this range might vary from about 4 units in single-family areas to about 17 units in apartment sections depending upon circumstances of location and type of unit. The actual number of units per acre will be determined by zoning and a more detailed discussion of this subject may be found in the "Zoning" section of this Plan. It should be understood that it is not intended to affect adversely, the stability and character of existing areas and in examining applications for development in "low density" areas, these factors will be considered paramount in determining the nature of the development to be permitted. The term can also be considered to include local commercial facilities where required. The sort of commercial facility visualized within this category is the small centre made up of a very few outlets to serve the immediate neighbourhood.
The location and site development of small centres in terms of appearance, scale and service should enhance the area in which they would be located. The introduction of this type of facility is considered to be suitable largely in areas not now developed, where a need may exist due to distance from major shopping facilities but where indication of precise location is not possible until more detailed patterns are prepared.
The pattern of proposed development is summarized in Map 5, and detailed proposals for development are noted in the following sections. Together, these proposals comprise a comprehensive long-range strategy for improvement for the area, and the provision for its expansion.
In order to facilitate detailed discussion of St. Boniface, the Community has been divided into seven Local Planning Areas as shown outlined on Map 6. The boundaries of these Local Planning Areas are related as far as possible to areas of similar use and character, traffic zones, polling divisions and census tracts.
These are:
The Provencher Local Planning Area is one of the oldest areas of development in the City of Winnipeg. The area was developed between 1872 and 1900 and many of the remaining original buildings have a low building condition rating, (see Appendix, Map 1A). However, most of the original buildings have been replaced by newer ones, and there are now three sub-areas of distinct character as a result of building replacement.
Generally, the area north of Rue LaVerendrye is characterized by industrial land-use, railroad spur lines, small single-family residences and vacant land; some of the latter areas being utilized for refuse dumping. To external observation, the majority of structures appear blighted, with many building improvisations made instead of the required major repairs. The houses are undersized by today's standards and often lack foundations. In addition, many of the public facilities such as roads are substandard and contribute to the area's neglected appearance.
South of LaVerendrye and north of Boulevard Provencher there are a number of large industrial buildings which cluster near Tache Avenue. The remainder of the area behind the commercial strip along Boulevard Provencher contains residential buildings. The general building condition is fair, although the majority of homes in the area are of good condition. Those homes in poor condition, however, help create an overall impression of general decay. A public program of rehabilitation and conservation, in conjunction with a program of individual property acquisition and demolition, for the unsalvageable units could forestall the decline of the entire area.
That portion of the Local Planning Area which lies east of the Seine River can be characterized as a mixture of post-war and recently constructed houses, with scattered commercial land-uses on the Boulevard Provencher frontage. Most of the residences are in fair to good condition and with regular maintenance are likely to remain so during the time period of the Plan. The overall building condition in the area between the Red River on the west and the Seine River on the east has been considered low enough to warrant a special urban renewal study. This was undertaken in 1965 for the City of St. Boniface by the Metropolitan Corporation.1
However, since that time events have occurred, and in particular the transportation facilities recommended for the area north of the C.N.R. Main Line, which necessitates a re-examination of the proposals contained in this urban renewal study.
In addition a larger study is being made which may also have a direct effect on any proposals for this area. This study, "A Study of the Rationalization of Railway Systems in Metropolitan Winnipeg," is being carried on under the combined auspices of the Federal Government, the Provincial Government, the Metropolitan Corporation and the two major railways.
The area in question has been designed as a redevelopment area in this Plan, and will be the subject of a further special study in the near future.
POLICY
To implement a special stud of the Provencher Local Planning Area when the results of thte "Study of the Rationalization of Railway Systems in Metropolitan Winnipeg" are known.
1 An Urban Renewal Study for St. Boniface. Planning Division, Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg, 1965.
The St. Boniface Central Local Planning Area was extensively developed during the period 1900 to 1925, although portions of the Boulevard Provencher frontage and St. Mary's Road pre-date 1900. The remainder of the area was "infilled" during the period 1925 - 1950. Like most older areas of the City, the land-uses of the area have changed through time to create a dense mosaic of differing uses. Map 3 indicates the land-use pattern of this area.
The major land-use in the St. Boniface Central area is residential, with the majority of homes pre-dating the Second World War. There is a great variety in the age and condition of residential structures in this Local Planning Area. The character of the residential areas can be categorized as follows:
This is the area bounded by Tache Avenue, Dollard Boulevard, Rue Ritchot, and the lane south of Berry Street. This section contains the largest percentage of residential structures which are in poor condition; 43% of the total number of homes in the area. In addition 45% of the homes are in fair condition, with only 11% in good condition. (See Map 8.)
This classification is applied to three sub-areas of the St. Boniface Central Local Planning Area. In common wth Transition Zone I the major feature of these residential sections is the varied type of residential housing which is found throughout. Although single-family homes and duplexes predominate, there are a considerable number of small apartment blocks scattered through all parts of the area.
The residential building condition is generally better in these sections than in Zone I, with most of the homes in fair to good condition. (See Map 8 for location of these sub-areas.)
This sub-area located east of Rue des Meurons to the Seine River and north of Goulet Street to Hamel Avenue. It is at present an area used for both residential and industrial purposes.
The three Transition Zones mentioned above have been so designated because they have for some time been undergoing a gradual change in character from a predominantly single-family area to a two-family duplex area and in more recent times to the addition of multiple-family small apartment blocks. This turned to multiple-family accommodation is well established in the Transition Zones and is expected to continue during during the time period of thie Plan. Transition Zone I has been separated from ther other zones because of the age of buildings in the area. Many are very old and in poor condition. It is possible that a number of these structures could be economically renovated, however it is more likely that most will have to be replaced in the near future with new structures.
When renewal takes place in Transition Zone I, either by public or private means, the likely type of residential accommodation would be low to medium-density multiple-accommodation -- either small apartment blocks or town house groups. This type of housing would serve to fill the need generated by staff and students of the St. Boniface General Hospital Complex and St. Boniface College.
Transition zone II will no doubt continue to change during the time period of thte Plan with the addition of more multiple-family accommodation mainly in the form of small apartment blocks.
It is suggested that Transition Zone III will eventually become a residential area when the present industrial uses more to more desirable locations in industrial areas. The land made available should be used for low-density multiple-family accommodation -- specifically town house projects.