Notes On East Fort Garry

Not to be confused with the more broad district, Fort Garry, which covers much of the southern neighbourhoods along Pembina Highway.  East Fort Garry is a small pocket of homes, east of Pembina highway that is bordered by Jubilee to the north, and the Red River along the east and south. As the city developed outwards from the downtown core, Fort Garry grew in popularity.  This community also happens to be midway between the University of Manitoba campus and downtown and snug against several curves in the Red River. Community members enjoy the accessibility to the downtown core as well as the University of Manitoba via the major thoroughfare of Pembina Highway. East Fort Garry also encompasses the highly sought-after neighbourhood of Wildwood. Wildwood Park is a suburban community that has a central green space and no front roads (only back alleys), with communal walkways, playgrounds and parks. Nearly all of the original houses are based on five variations of three basic designs, pre-fabricated in one section of the site. The site plan concept is based on the Radburn community design of architects Henry Wright and Clarence Stein who advocated the idea of designing neighbourhoods for the "motor age".

Real Estate Trends

Competition to buy in this area runs fierce today.  There are typically less than eight homes on the market at any one time in this area, and average selling time is less than 10 days.  It is not uncommon to see homes sell for well above their list price due to multiple offer situations.  For this reason, we highly recommend hiring a Realtor that specializes in this market.  The area itself is mature and includes a mix of single family homes, smaller condominium projects, and some apartments. Bungalows and raised bungalows are the dominant housing types in this area.  Two storey homes are also common in this area, with some floor plans such as three-level splits popping up on occasion. There has also been a recent increase in condominium developments in this area, both new construction buildings as well as apartment conversions. There is very little residential new construction in the area, with the exception of some infill houses. Homes range in price from $200,000 to well over $1 million for homes backing onto the Red River.  Condominium units range in price from $130,000 to over $1 million for executive-style condos along the Red River.

Schools and Services

This community’s schools are managed by the Pembina Trails School Division. This area also houses the prestigious private school, Saint John`s Ravenscourt (SJR) which spans 23 acres and backs onto the Red River.

The area also offers a public library, Fort Garry Library located on Pembina Highway.

Shopping

Pembina is lined with many stores ranging in size from mom-and-pop style shops to large retailers such as Staples, Safeway, Shoppers Drug Mart.  Recently, a large ethnic grocery store was opened to accommodate students from outside of Canada. The area is also within a 10 minute drive to the Kenaston area that offers a luxury outlet mall, Ikea, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes, among others.

Entertainment and Recreation

The area offers a wide range of recreational pursuits: it has the Wildwood and Crescent Drive golf courses along the Red River.  It also features a boat launch at Crescent Park Drive. The community itself offers outdoor rinks, an outdoor pool, tennis courts, and cross country skiing trails in Crescent Drive Park.

The area also houses Thermea by Nordik Spa-Nature, a Scandinavian slice of paradise offering thermal pools, Finnish saunas, steam baths, and spa treatments.  The spa is located at 775 Crescent Drive.

Popular Bus Routes

29 - Sherbrook

36 - Northwest Super Express

60 - Pembina

78 - Crosstown West

84 - Pembina ® Whyte Ridge ® Pembina

86 - Pembina ® Whyte Ridge ® Pembina

94 - Kenaston ® Industrial Park

137 - Richmond Super Express

160 - Downtown ® University of Manitoba

161 - University Super Express

162 - Fort Richmond ® St. Norbert Express

163 - Waverley Heights Express

170 - Fort Richmond ® St. Norbert

180 - Industrial Express

181 - Whyte Ridge Express

183 - Richmond West Express

185 - Osborne Village Express