OAKBANK

Oakbank is the largest, unincorporated town in the Rural Municipality of Springfield. This quiet, family-friendly community is located only a 14 kilometer drive to the East Perimeter of Winnipeg.  The community has a large network of lakes, paths and parks. Oakbank also helps to serve the local agricultural community with retail and commercial offerings.

REAL ESTATE TRENDS

Development in the area ramped up beginning in the 60’s, with a heavy proportion of the homes built in the 1990’s and newer.  The community is continuously growing with new construction continuing today.  The neighbourhood is comprised of mostly single-detached family homes with some semi-detached options in between. There are a variety of layouts with the most popular being bungalows and two storeys on large lots. There are a few townhouses and apartment-style condominiums or rentals in the area, too.

SCHOOLS AND SERVICES

Oakbank is within the Sunrise School Division and home to three schools. Oakbank Elementary School is an English, Kindergarten to Grade Five School that also offers an English-Ukrainian Bilingual Program.

Springfield Middle School, located on Cedar Avenue, has programming in English with basic French classes. Students attending the English-Ukrainian bilingual program at Oakbank Elementary School are also qualified to enroll in the English-Ukrainian Program here.

The English high school option for the area is Springfield Collegiate Institute, also located on Cedar Avenue in Oakbank.

For French Immersion programming, students will start elementary school in Dugald. Ecole Dugald is a Kindergarten to Grade Eight dual-track school. Students in Grade Nine to Twelve may continue their studies at College Pierre Eliott Trudeau in the Winnipeg neighbourhood of Canterbury Park.

 

POST SECONDARY PROGRAMS

Diploma programs are available from one of Winnipeg’s many post-secondary institutions. The University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg, the Universite de Saint Boniface and the Red River College Polytechnic Campuses are all about a 40-minute drive (or less) to get to from the community.

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

Along Main Street you can find medical clinics that serve the community such as Oakbank Medical Clinic, Springfield Medical Clinic and Kin Place Primary Health Care Centre.  Larger health care providers are located in Winnipeg, Beausejour and Ste Anne. The closest hospital is Concordia Hospital which is in Valley Gardens in Winnipeg.  There are several other hospitals within Winnipeg that are also less than a 30-minute drive away.  These include Seven Oaks Hospital and St Boniface Hospital. There are also hospitals in neighbouring rural communities that are relatively close, including Beausejour Health Centre (in Beausejour) and Ste. Anne’s Hospital (in Ste Anne’s, Manitoba).  These are also under a 30-minute drive from Oakbank.

SHOPPING

Although Oakbank is a small town, it has everything you need for your everyday living within its borders.  The Co-op Food Store on Co-op Drive and Family Foods on Main Street serve the area with grocery offerings. Oakbank Garden Market is opened during the summer season and has a great selection of flowers and plants for your home. Oaks Plaza is home to restaurants, small shops and services.

If you need more variety, the community is only a 20-minute drive away from larger box stores and shopping centres along Regent Avenue in Transcona, Winnipeg. Kildonan Place, Crossroads Station and Kildonan Crossing consist of shops like Walmart, Save-On-Foods, Real Canadian Superstore, Frescho, Staples, Best Buy, the Home Depot, Marshalls and HomeSense, Winners and so much more. The area is also home to a Costco and a Canadian Tire.

ENTERTAINMENT AND REACREATION

Oakbank has at least six parks and a selection of recreational facilities in and just beyond its borders. All of the parks were constructed to be wheelchair accessible keeping the community inclusive for all. The parks are scattered throughout the neighbourhood and all include a playground to give plenty opportunity for the little ones to enjoy. Another feature we love about this community is reduced speed limits not only around the schools, but also around parks in the area.   

Aspen Lake Park is situated on the corner of Aspen and Holly Drive and consists of a large play structure and swing set. Other parks include additional features. Jodi Park has outdoor fitness equipment and walking paths. Kin Park provide a zipkrooz, two full-sized tennis courts with tournament style nets and pickleball lines, as well as an outdoor rink with warm-up hut. Lions Park houses a beach volleyball court and Elm Park offers a walking path, full-sized basketball court and a BMX hill. Springfield Community Park is located on Springfield Centre Drive and features the Springfield Skate Park. The Park’s new addition is a spray pad, which opened in July 2021 with 25 different spray components. The kids love it!

Oakbank is also known for its close proximity to Birds Hill Provincial Park. The East Gate is only a six-minute drive away. This 8000-acre park has plenty of activities to choose from, such as hiking, biking, camping, cross country skiing, horseback riding, swimming, beach exploring and so much more.  This park is also home to the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

The RM of Springfield is one of the largest horse communities in Canada. There are at least 11 stables around the Park that offer boarding and equestrian services. Birds Hill Provincial Park has a unique facility run by the Manitoba Horse Council.

Oakbank Stables is located between the Provincial Park and the town. It offers boarding, intermediate and advanced lessons.

Oakbank and District Community Club and the One Insurance Arena share a building and are the recreational facilities that serve the community.  The Complex houses an indoor and outdoor rink, three baseball diamonds, one full-sized and multiple smaller soccer fields.  The skating club is currently based out of the Hazelridge Sports Complex, which is approximately a 10-minute drive away. 

According to the Rural Municipality of Springfield website,  Oakbank will be home to a new 75,000 square foot, two-storey, recreational facility. Springfield Community Recreation Centre will be located on Springfield Centre Drive. Plans are in place to break ground in Fall of 2023.

There are additional winter sport options in neighbouring communities.  The Springfield Curling Club has four sheets of ice and is located in neighbouring Dugald. Springhill Winter Park is great for skiing, tubing and snowboarding.  

Parkside Pool is a 10-minute drive from Oakbank. It is an indoor facility offering private, semi-private and Red Cross swim classes year-round.

If you looking to get in shape, Dash Fitness Centre provides personal training, group fitness, yoga classes, spinning, zumba, physical therapy, physiotherapy and more.

The area has offerings for golf enthusiasts too. Elmhurst Golf and Country Club is an 18-hole, private golf course. This course has a club house ideal for weddings and family events (you don’t necessarily need to be a member to host an event here). Adjacent to this course is another private Golf Course, the Pine Ridge Golf Club that consists of a large grass tee driving range, practice facilities, practice bunker, chipping green and a putting green. This facility houses a banquet hall, ceremony site and a dining room.

If you or your child is interested in arts, you can register for a wide selection of classes at Sunrise Performing Arts Centre of Excellence, the SPACE. The Centre offers before and after school programs, including the Cook’s Creek Dance Academy and the Springfield Theatre Company, a semi-professional musical theatre that has auditions every May.

There are also many fun family events and programs in and around the community of Oakbank year-round. The Annual Springfield Country Fair is organized by the Springfield Agricultural Society in Dugald. There is a wide selection of programs to attend such as pancake breakfasts, cribbage tournaments, bicycle decorating, tractor pulling, scarecrow building, barrel train rides, and more.

Kinsman Club of Springfield was founded in 1978. Their mission is to organize a variety of events to fundraise and support projects within the RM of Springfield. Some of their major programs are the Santa Parade in Oakbank and the Annual Ski Night at Springhill Sports Park.

In the summer and fall, Deer Meadow Farms is a must. It is 10 minute-drive from the community and has so much to offer: Farmer Day Camps, Sunfest which is a 3 acres Sunflower field with walking trail, a Corn Maze, a Petting Zoo, a Wild Game Preserve with Fallow Deer viewing, a Bale Pyramid, a Tired Mountain, Farmer Golf and a Farmers’ Market, just to name a few.

WHY WE THINK THIS IS A GREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD TO LIVE IN?

Oakbank is a great community to raise a family. Spacious homes, with modern construction offers all on large lots.  Oftentimes these options can be waterfront and you will see community members creating hockey rinks on their backyard ponds in the winter! There are plenty of parks, paths, recreational facilities and amenities in the neighbourhood or just a stone’s throw away. Its close proximity to Winnipeg allows for an easy commute to those working inside the city or attending post-secondary schooling options.

LOCAL FAVOURITES

Stop by Cedar and Main Eatery for a delicious burger or poutine. Pineridge Hollow is a cozy restaurant on the edge of Birds Hill Provincial Park, a great place to grab a meal before or after a hike.

The Peppercorn Restaurant and Fireside Lounge is a family restaurant in the heart of Oakbank, and known for its friendly service and delicious food.