History of Transcona

The name "Transcona" was chosen to commemorate the railway to which the town owes its existence. It is claimed that the name "Transcona" was chosen from thousands of contest entries and was a combination of "Transcontinental" and "Strathcona".

• "Transcontinental" - either for the CPR Transcontinental trains that passed through the area or for the National Transcontinental Railway who constructed the shops in cooperation with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
• "Strathcona" for Donald Alexander Smith, also known as Lord Strathcona. He headed one of the groups responsible for constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1885, Lord Strathcona drove the last spike into the CPR railway.

Establishment of the Town-site

• In 1906 or 1907, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway surveyed an area in the Suthwyn district for the future site of the western repair shop and the town of Transcona.
• In 1907 or 1908, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway purchased 800 acres of land located 8 miles east of Winnipeg from John Henry Kern for the construction of the railway repair shops and the future town-site.

Early Municipal Development

• The prospect of steady employment brought hundreds of men to the area beginning in 1909. The area was quickly covered with the tents of construction gangs and hurriedly constructed shacks. Some permanent homes were built by the railwaymen who came from Rivers, Melville, and other railway points. For those intent on making Transcona their home, men brought their families only after they were established.
• In 1910, the Transcona post office opened and the town population was reported at 1,600 people. There were two boarding houses, a bakery, butcher shop, bank, two churches (Methodist and Presbyterian), and a two room school in the Saunders Block. The first three storey house was built in 1910 by Joseph Maranda who owned a lumberyard. For many years, Mr. Maranda operated the jitney service (a car transportation service that ran prior to bus lines) between Transcona and Winnipeg.
• On February 10, 1911, the Transcona Board of Trade was inaugurated.

Town of Transcona

• The Town of Transcona was officially incorporated by Charter on April 6, 1912.
• Transcona's first Mayor, Mr. C.J.E. Maxwell, was the only candidate running for the position of Town Mayor. He was declared elected by acclamation on May 13, 1912.
• The first Transcona election was held on Monday, May 20th, 1912. Two polling booths were situated across the town, one in the North end at a new store on the corner of Regent and Oxford (currently Day Street) and the other in the South (in South Transcona) in the barber shop opposite the Springfield Hotel. Six town councillors were elected as follows: Peter Watt, J.W.Gunn, C.Fieldhouse, Alex Campbell, Ovide Broduer, and Matt Hall.
• 1912 saw the construction of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, the opening of the Transcona Municipal Offices and Fire Hall on November 12, and the installation of the first electric lights and power.
• On January 18, 1913, the Transcona Shops were officially opened. Central School constructed between 1912-1913 was officially opened September 8, 1913. The Ukrainian Catholic Church was also constructed in 1913.
• The town continued to invest in building miles of wooden sidewalks. In 1914, the sewage system was installed. The Transcona Cemetery was surveyed in August and approved by the council on October 7, 1914. By the end of the first year 22 burials had been made in the new cemetery.
• Between 1914 and 1918, over 400 men from Transcona enlisted in service to King and Country. Between 1915 and 1918 the Transcona Shell Company and Eley Cartridge Company engaged in the manufacture of munitions.
• The town experienced severe economic hardship during the 1920s and went bankrupt in 1921. The Mayor and Council were required to resign. The Province administered the Town of Transcona until 1927 when a Town Council was elected.
• During the Depression of the 1930s the community faced chronic unemployment, railways layoffs, and many economic hardships. To provide employment to able-bodied men, Regent Avenue was paved as a "relief" project. The new cement highway was paved from Transcona to Winnipeg at a cost of $135,000.
• From 1939-1945, the townspeople pulled together to support the nation at war. Over 800 men and women from Transcona served in uniform. Others worked at the Cordite Plant, on the armoured train, or helped with the Transcona War Efforts Committee.
• According the October 27, 1955 issue of the Transcona News, new signs placed at Dugald and King Street, Regent and Hwy 59 (Panet Road), and Dugald and Superior (close to the Cemetery) celebrated Transcona's population as "8,000 happy people."

Growth to a City

• The population continued to grow so that by 1961, Transcona had 13,000 citizens and was granted its City Charter. Transcona celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1961.
• The slogan "The Park City" was officially adopted through a motion passed by Mayor Harry Fuller and Alderman C.J. Perry, Paul E. Martin, William Dzyndra, and M. Sharpe on October 3, 1966. The motion stated “that the words ‘Park City’ would be included on all letterhead”. A few months later, as part of a campaign to further promote Transcona’s park-like image, the Transcona Post Office provided the City administration with a postage tape bearing the official slogan "The Park City".
• The City of Transcona existed until January 1, 1972 when it was amalgamated with the City of Winnipeg along with 11 other communities.
• Today, Transcona is a large urban community in the City of Winnipeg with a population of approximately 40,000 people.