Notes on River Heights

River Heights is an affluent and primarily residential neighbourhood located in the Center of Winnipeg.  It is composed of just over 6000 homes.  It is bordered by Kenaston Boulevard to the West, Assiniboine River to the North, Cambridge Street to the East, and Taylor Avenue to the South.  River Heights is located approximately six kilometers away from the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport and similarly, approximately 6 kilometers to Winnipeg's downtown core.  The central location is what makes this neighbourhood so desirable for professionals and working families as their daily commute downtown is almost null. 

River Heights is well known for its beautiful large trees (some well over 100 years old) along the boulevards that form a leafy canopy in the summer. It was once a part of the Parish of St. Boniface but was annexed by the City of Winnipeg in 1882.  The majority of the development in the area did not occur until after World War 1. 

Real Estate Trends

The area is home to many working professionals and has an average annual household income of around $147,000. Home prices in the area begin around $250,000 for a home that needs significant work (usually structural or sometimes a complete tear down) all the way up to north of $2 million dollars for some of the more opulent homes close to Wellington Crescent. There are a significant amount of houses that sell every year in the range of $800,000 - $1 million.  Currently, there is one house listed for nearly $8 million. 

River Heights is home to some of the oldest residential real estate in all of Winnipeg and the area can be broken down into two main areas: North River Heights and South River Heights. North River Heights consists mostly of homes built at the start of the 1900's up to the 1940's.  These stately homes ooze with character and have been beautifully maintained for the last 100 years. In this area, you will be awed by the Victorian and Tudor-style homes that were prominent when this area was first developed - and luckily a lot of that character is still apparent here today.  These homes are mainly comprised of single-family detached homes with the odd multifamily conversion. 

As you move towards the South, you will begin to see more mid-century style homes tucked beneath the canopy of Elm, Ash and Oak trees that some of the streets in this neighbourhood are famously named for!  In both areas, we are starting to see a lot more infill homes (new construction homes on an older lot where a home has been torn down).  

There are a variety of condominium options within the area ranging from apartment-style layouts, walk-ups, and also attached-style bungalows or townhomes. There is a wide spread on condominium pricing and ranges are anywhere from $100,000 for a foreclosed upon unit on a busier street up to $1,200,000 for an attached river-front townhouse condominium.

School and Services

River Heights has a large number of schools offering a variety of different programs.  The neighbourhood falls under the Winnipeg School Division jurisdiction, which is the largest school division in all of Winnipeg.  River Heights is home to nine public schools and one private school.  There are eight elementary schools that go from Kindergarten through to Grade Six:

• Ecole Robert H Smith Elementary School.  Offers English and French Immersion programming
• Queenston School.  English programming only.
• Brock Corydon School.  Offers both English programming as well as a Hebrew bilingual program.
• Montrose Elementary School.  Offers unique multi-age classroom setting in English only.
• Carpathia School.  Offers English Only
• Ecole JB Mitchell School. English and French Immersion programs as well as a program for students learning English as a second language.
• Ecole Sir William Osler.  Offers only French Immersion programming
• St John Brebeuf School. A private Catholic school that goes from Kindergarten to Grade Eight.

There is one middle school located in River Heights, for kids in Grades seven and eight: Ecole River Heights School.  This school offers both English and French Immersion programs.  The school prides itself on the fact that it offers IB programs to all of their students ensuring the best education possible.

There are no high schools directly in the area, but there are three found in the neighbouring area of Crescentwood:

• Kelvin High School.  Offers both English and French Immersion programs as well as an IB diploma program.  The high school goes from Grade nine through to twelve and is where students who reside in the Northern part of River Heights will attend high school although students throughout River Heights that want to attend French Immersion will also go here.  Kelvin is one of the largest high schools in all of Winnipeg, with nearly 1300 students enrolled.
• The other high school which borders River Heights is St. Mary's Academy, which is an all-girls, private, Catholic School that goes from grades seven through to twelve.  The iconic building, built in 1902 sits at the corner of Wellington Crescent and Academy Road and was one of the first buildings built in the area.  It's male counterpart, St Paul's, is situated just a few kilometers away in the neighbourhood of Tuxedo.
• The students in South River Heights are in the catchment area for Grant Park High School, which offers only programs in English and is known for its exceptional arts program.

River Heights has one public library, Bill and Helen Norrie Library, located at 15 Poseidon Bay and was a large, $9.1 million dollar project that was completed in 2021.  This 14,000 square foot library offers great study areas, multi-use public space, and an abundance of programming. 

The closest hospital to River Height is the Misericordia Health Centre located just across the Maryland Bridge at 691 Wolseley Avenue.  It is also in close proximity to the Health Sciences Center as well, making the area a popular place to live for medical professionals.

Shopping

River Heights is made up mostly of residential homes, therefore you may need to venture to the outskirts of the area to find amenities such as grocery and retail stores.  But due to its central location, these amenities are really just a stone's throw away and no more than a 5-minute drive from River Heights.  Areas that residents frequent include: Polo Park Shopping Mall, which is the largest mall in all of Manitoba, Grant Park Mall, Tuxedo Park Shopping Center, and Seasons of Tuxedo which is home to KEA and many other large box stores.

River Heights is also surrounded by all major grocery chains including Superstore, Walmart, Save-On Foods, Safeway, Costco and Co-Op.  If you are looking for a more unique and local shopping experience, River Heights does offer some amazing boutique shops that can be found right along Academy Road. 

Entertainment and Recreation

There are ample offerings in terms of entertainment and recreation within River Heights.  The Pam Am Pool is world renowned aquatic centre that was originally built in 1967 for the Pan American Games. It offers multiple pools (including one of the largest indoor bodies of water in the world), two competitive swimming pools, recreation facilities, diving towers, and a great kiddie pool.  Throughout the year, this centre houses a variety of highly-competitive competitions that can be observed from the ample theatre-style seating.

The Corydon Community Centre is a collaboration between River Heights, Sir John Franklin, and Crescentwood Community Centres. This large Community Centre has a goal of becoming a leader in community-based leisure, recreation, and wellness programs. The center provides many different facilities such as indoor and outdoor rinks, a large gymnasium, baseball diamonds, playgrounds, tennis courts, soccer fields and much more.

If you love the outdoors, River Heights has great options as well!  The neighbourhood is found only one kilometer away from the East entrance of Winnipeg's beloved Assiniboine Park, making it the perfect destination for walks, picnics, bike rides, and more.  The park is also home to the Assiniboine Park Zoo - once again emphasizing the family-oriented nature of the area.  Famous Wellington Crescent is home to some of the most beautiful homes in all of Winnipeg and not to mention gorgeous paths and walkways.  Wellington Crescent is also closed to vehicles every Sunday to allow all of the neighourhoods' residents to enjoy it as a safe spot to exercise or go for a stroll.  You can also find public tennis courts, playgrounds and in the winter a small skating rink along Wellington Crescent.  

Surrounding the area, there are a number of other fitness and entertainment facilities including the Taylor Tennis Club, the Reh-Fit Center, and the Rady Center.  It is also in close proximity to two movie theaters, plenty of shopping and home to some of the best restaurants in the City!

Why We Love River Heights

The mature trees, all of the character you see, but really the most important thing is its central location.  You are really close to everything and a short drive from pretty much any convenience.  It is also a great area to raise a family!