New development on Pembina Highway honours the neighbourhood's past

A new infill housing development is going up along Pembina Highway, taking the neighbourhood into the future while making sure to honour its past.

The condo, which features specialized work from home suites, is replacing the former Fort Garry Legion.

Garry Reid, treasurer of the Fort Garry Legion, said they sold the space to a development group after repairs for the old building started to pile up.

“We just didn’t have the ability to sustain ourselves at that location, and when developers offered us what we thought was a very reasonable offer, we accepted it,” said Reid.

When completed, the new development called 'Point on Pembina' will be an 82-unit condo with six main floor live/work units for people who work from home. The condo developers are making sure future residents know about the long-standing history of the former legion location.

“They graciously invited us to put some sort of memorial on their property,” said Reid. “We haven’t quite decided whether we’re going to have a plaque inside, or some sort of memorial on the outside, so that’s what we’re looking at right now.”

Point on Pembina’s development comes on the heels of another multi-use building that is slated to be built in the space where the Pembina Hotel currently sits, as well as a new local grocery store in place of the old Original Pancake House, and another potential condo in place of the Cambridge Hotel.

Jino Distasio, an urban geography professor at the University of Winnipeg, said these new builds are helping to re-energize this section of Fort Garry, while making the neighbourhood more livable and diverse.

“I think it’s a good thing for Pembina Highway and the Fort Garry neighbourhood in particular. They are really seeing some dynamic changes now with condominiums, more commercial retail, and some mixed use spaces like (Point on Pembina).”

Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights–Fort Garry) said it is an exciting time in the area, and the new Point on Pembina build will help with urban uplift on the street.

He was also glad to see the developer honour the legacy of the old Fort Garry Legion that used to occupy the space.

“That Legion has a very strong connection to the neighbourhood, and I really appreciate them taking that into account when they were developing the property.”

A few minutes north of the old location, a new Fort Garry Legion is currently under construction. Reid said even though condos are replacing the old building, he’s glad the history of the building will live on.

“We were there for over 70 years, so there’s a lot of history there, and it’s not going to be forgotten, that’s what I appreciate.”