St. Vital

BETWEEN TWO RIVERS

DAWN PETER

St. Vital is a sprawling suburban area in Winnipeg wading far and wide between two rivers. The Red River marks the west boundary and the Seine River marks the east. Carriere Avenue is the northern boundary and the rural municipality of Ritchot is the southern boundary.

Newer, amenity-oriented neighbourhoods dominate the landscape in clusters in smiling St. Vital. The suburban style of family living close to the country gets richer in the south, but all homes and residents seem fairly prosperous and settled. Old St. Vital has some francophone history, yet it’s largely overshadowed by modern cosmopolitan consumers who want to shop and live in luxury by the river.

As the middle child in a French family of three sisters, St. Vital starts out as gregariously urban with long rows of strip malls braided alongside a huge shopping mall and cosy middle-class lots near the river. Furthest south, the landscape suddenly becomes rural, running past shops into pastures of prairie grass and corn mazes. Professional residents know how to maneouvre around roadblocks from busy Bishop Grandin Boulevard to the farmers’ markets.

Starting out traditionally Francophone, St. Vital has grown and significantly changed over the years. Decades ago, she became

Watching the sunset in St. Vital Park.

overwhelmingly Anglophone, but now there is a lot of variation between neighbourhoods and more ethnic diversity among new residents. More seniors typically reside along the northwest and residents with higher incomes and education are located further south.

St. Vital offers a lot for middle- income families. A smaller budget might find North St. Vital more central and affordable. Big budgets build in the south.

The growing trend toward diversity and demand for new housing has made St. Vital homeownership-competitive. With Baby Boomers retiring, there is also a growing need for multi-family homes and services. Apartments, condos and townhouses situated close to the malls and main bus routes have much to offer with balconies, granite counters, large suites with lofts and some with a highrise view.

Traffic is constant east to west and on main cross streets, covering large expanses of land by high-speed roads. Buses are frequent, especially at the northern intersections. Pedestrians and cyclists congregate closer to the south by the mall or on residential streets. A trip to the airport could be half an hour.

Major parks and centres include St. Vital Park near the Red River, Maple Grove at the southern tip, plus Jonathan Toews Community Centre and St. Vital Centennial Arena.

St. Vital is loved by residents and visitors. The shopping is stupendous, but a car is a must.

Dawn Peter is an author and freelance writer in Manitoba.