Fort Rouge, Manitoba
Encyclopedia
Fort Rouge is a district of Winnipeg
, Manitoba
. Located in the south-central part of the city, it is bounded on the north by the Assiniboine River
, on the east and south by the Red River
, and on the west by Stafford Street and Pembina Highway
. Fort Rouge is not a discrete census district, so its population cannot be easily obtained through census records; the 2006 combined population of Fort Rouge and the neighbouring district of River Heights was 56,505.
, a fort built on the Assiniboine River in approximately 1738 by Sieur Louis Damours de Louvières, a lieutenant of the Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye
. It is not known if the neighbourhood is built on the site of the fortification.
The area prior to 1880 consisted of a few small farms and woodlots. In 1880, a bridge was built across the Assiniboine River
south from Main Street
; the following year, another was constructed south along Pembina Road (later known as Osborne Street
). Originally known as St. Boniface
West, the area was annexed by the City of Winnipeg in 1882.
With the bridge in place to the city, a middle class
residential area developed. Most houses in this area were quite modest in size and cost, although during the 1890s and 1900s mansions could be found on Roslyn Road, Wellington Crescent, and River Avenue. Due to its proximity to central Winnipeg and the presence of the Park Line streetcar, Fort Rouge was attractive to a variety of families of the middle and commercial classes as well as the more prosperous from the skilled trades. Most residents were of British Canadian
backgrounds. This sense of community was reflected in the large churches that were constructed in the early 1900s along Nassau Street
. Notable residents of the time include three victims of the RMS Titanic disaster: real estate developer Mark Fortune, his son Charles Fortune, and banker Thomson Beattie. Another Titanic victim, John Hugo Ross, gave his name to Hugo Street in Fort Rouge some years before his death, while a fifth victim, Eaton's
employee George Graham, is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery. Immigration agent and legislator William Hespeler
also resided in Fort Rouge.
The Canadian Northern Railway
shops and yards were also located in Fort Rouge. Working class neighbourhoods developed around the yards. Many of the residents were able to walk the short distance to work. A few factories and warehouses appeared alongside the tracks and near the Red River as well. The yards are still in operation under the aegis of the Canadian National Railway
and Via Rail
, although some of the original yards were closed and the land ceded to the City of Winnipeg, which built a large bus garage on the lands.
From the 1950s to the 1980s dozens of high-rise apartment blocks, many over 25 storeys, were built in and around Osborne Village
. This is currently Western Canada's second most densely populated neighbourhood. In the 1990s Corydon Avenue was redeveloped and is now one of Winnipeg's most important cultural and night-life areas.
Fort Rouge includes many neighbourhoods. These include Lord Roberts, Riverview, Ebby-Wentworth, Earl Grey, McMillan, and River-Osborne.
St. Mary's Cemetery, a Catholic
burial ground dating to the 19th century, is located on Osborne Street.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. Located in the south-central part of the city, it is bounded on the north by the Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
, on the east and south by the Red River
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
, and on the west by Stafford Street and Pembina Highway
Winnipeg Route 42
Route 42 is a major arterial road located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It connects the suburbs of North Kildonan, East Kildonan, Fort Rouge, Fort Garry, and St. Norbert with the city's downtown core...
. Fort Rouge is not a discrete census district, so its population cannot be easily obtained through census records; the 2006 combined population of Fort Rouge and the neighbouring district of River Heights was 56,505.
History
The district was named after Fort RougeFort Rouge (fortification)
Fort Rouge was a fort located on the Assiniboine River in Manitoba, Canada, on the site of what is now the city of Winnipeg. Its exact location is unknown. Its name in English means "red fort"....
, a fort built on the Assiniboine River in approximately 1738 by Sieur Louis Damours de Louvières, a lieutenant of the Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye was a French Canadian military officer, fur trader and explorer. In the 1730s he and his four sons opened up the area west of Lake Superior and thus began the process that added Western Canada to the original New France in the Saint Lawrence basin...
. It is not known if the neighbourhood is built on the site of the fortification.
The area prior to 1880 consisted of a few small farms and woodlots. In 1880, a bridge was built across the Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
south from Main Street
Winnipeg Route 52
Route 52 is a major north-south arterial route in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It comprises all of Main Street from the northern city limits to the Main Street Bridge over the Assiniboine River; Queen Elizabeth Way from the Main Street Bridge to the Norwood Bridge over the Red River; and St. Mary's Road...
; the following year, another was constructed south along Pembina Road (later known as Osborne Street
Winnipeg Route 62
Route 62 is a major north-south arterial route in Winnipeg, Manitoba that has eight different street names.The official route begins on Salter Street in the city's North End; its northernmost point is often given on maps as the intersection of Salter Street and Redwood Avenue...
). Originally known as St. Boniface
Saint Boniface, Manitoba
Saint Boniface is a city ward of Winnipeg, home to much of the Franco-Manitoban community. It features such landmarks as the Cathédrale de Saint Boniface , Boulevard Provencher, the Provencher Bridge, Esplanade Riel, St. Boniface Hospital, the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface and the Royal...
West, the area was annexed by the City of Winnipeg in 1882.
With the bridge in place to the city, a middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
residential area developed. Most houses in this area were quite modest in size and cost, although during the 1890s and 1900s mansions could be found on Roslyn Road, Wellington Crescent, and River Avenue. Due to its proximity to central Winnipeg and the presence of the Park Line streetcar, Fort Rouge was attractive to a variety of families of the middle and commercial classes as well as the more prosperous from the skilled trades. Most residents were of British Canadian
British Canadian
British Canadian refers to a link between Canada and the United Kingdom. It may refer to:*British-Canadian relations*English Canadian*Irish Canadian*Scottish Canadian*Canadians of Welsh descent...
backgrounds. This sense of community was reflected in the large churches that were constructed in the early 1900s along Nassau Street
Nassau Street (Winnipeg)
Nassau Street is a street in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in the Fort Rouge neighborhood. The street is home to a prominent address 55 Nassau which is currently the tallest residential building in Winnipeg....
. Notable residents of the time include three victims of the RMS Titanic disaster: real estate developer Mark Fortune, his son Charles Fortune, and banker Thomson Beattie. Another Titanic victim, John Hugo Ross, gave his name to Hugo Street in Fort Rouge some years before his death, while a fifth victim, Eaton's
Eaton's
The T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
employee George Graham, is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery. Immigration agent and legislator William Hespeler
William Hespeler
William Hespeler was a German - Canadian businessman and immigration agent and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. He served as Speaker of the Legislature and as honorary consul of Germany to Winnipeg and the Northwest Territories...
also resided in Fort Rouge.
The Canadian Northern Railway
Canadian Northern Railway
The Canadian Northern Railway is a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its demise in 1923, when it was merged into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.-Manitoba beginnings:CNoR had its start in...
shops and yards were also located in Fort Rouge. Working class neighbourhoods developed around the yards. Many of the residents were able to walk the short distance to work. A few factories and warehouses appeared alongside the tracks and near the Red River as well. The yards are still in operation under the aegis of the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
and Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
, although some of the original yards were closed and the land ceded to the City of Winnipeg, which built a large bus garage on the lands.
From the 1950s to the 1980s dozens of high-rise apartment blocks, many over 25 storeys, were built in and around Osborne Village
Osborne Village
Osborne Village is a neighbourhood of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It derives its name from Osborne Street , which runs through the centre of the village area.-History:...
. This is currently Western Canada's second most densely populated neighbourhood. In the 1990s Corydon Avenue was redeveloped and is now one of Winnipeg's most important cultural and night-life areas.
Fort Rouge includes many neighbourhoods. These include Lord Roberts, Riverview, Ebby-Wentworth, Earl Grey, McMillan, and River-Osborne.
Sports
The Fort Rouge district shares the Fort Garry/Fort Rouge Twins hockey team with the district of Fort Garry. The team plays out of the Century Arena and are members of the MMJHL.| Team | Founded | League | Arena | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Garry/Fort Rouge Twins | 1970 | MMJHL | Century Arena | 6 |
Health care
The only major health care facility in Fort Rouge is the Riverview Health Centre, located in the Riverview neighbourhood.St. Mary's Cemetery, a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
burial ground dating to the 19th century, is located on Osborne Street.