Old Kildonan


Old Kildonan is a former municipality and city ward of Winnipeg, Manitoba, represented by a member of Winnipeg City Council. Before the City of Winnipeg Act of 1972, it was an independent rural municipality. The population was 39,358.
It is bounded by the Red River on the east; the North Limit of the City of Winnipeg on the north; Pipeline Road, Mollard Road, Ritchie Street, Farmer Avenue, and Keewatin Street on the west; and Carruthers Avenue, McPhillips Street, Templeton Avenue, the Canadian Pacific Railway Winnipeg Beach Subdivision, Seaforth Avenue, Main Street, and the north limit of the Kildonan Golf Course on the south.

History

The Rural Municipality of Old Kildonan was originally part of the Rural Municipality of Kildonan, which was formed in 1875 in Manitoba. It was part of the Red River Colony, and originally rivalled Fort Garry in the Winnipeg area.
From 1875 to 1914, Kildonan covered a large area on both sides of the Red River, just north of the original City of Winnipeg. In 1914, Kildonan was divided: The area east of the river became the R. M. of East Kildonan, and the area west of the river became the R. M. of West Kildonan. At that time, West Kildonan included the area of Old Kildonan but on July 1,1921 the two municipalities divided, as West Kildonan had been developed as a residential suburb of Winnipeg, and wanted expensive urban services, while Old Kildonan remained primarily rural, and still had the rural farming character of the "Old" Parish of Kildonan. After the division of the area, the first elected Reeve of Old Kildonan was Robert Toshack. Councillor was H. J. Seymour, elected by acclimation in June 1921.
The area did not see substantial development until the late 1960s with the construction of The Maples subdivision, and even today contains substantial undeveloped areas and a number of farms.