Wildwood is a primarily residential neighbourhood located in the southeast part of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It includes part of the 8th Street business district. The majority of its residents live in a townhouse or apartment-style multiple unit dwellings, with a sizeable minority of low-density, single detached dwellings. As of 2016, the area is home to 7,645 residents. The neighbourhood has an average family income of $37,770, a homeownership rate of 67.0% and an average home sale price of $300,327.[1]
Wildwood | |
|---|---|
 Lakewood Civic Centre | |
 Wildwood location map | |
| Coordinates: 52°6′20″N 106°35′10″W / 52.10556°N 106.58611°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Saskatchewan |
| City | Saskatoon |
| Suburban Development Area | Lakewood |
| Neighbourhood | Wildwood |
| Annexed | 1970-1974 |
| Construction | 1971-1980 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal (Ward 9) |
| • Administrative body | Saskatoon City Council |
| • Councillor | Bev Dubois |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.8 km2 (1.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 7,645 |
| • Average Income | $37,770 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (UTC) |
| Website | Wildwood Community Association |
History edit
Before being part of Saskatoon, the land for Wildwood was used for agriculture. It includes part of the Sutherland Moraine, a ridge that forms a local topographic high.[2] George Stephenson, who ranched in the Dundurn area in the 1880s, operated a dairy farm along 8th Street until 1911. The intersection of 8th Street and Central Avenue (now Acadia Drive) was referred to as "Stephenson's Corner" for many years. The streetcar line from Saskatoon to Sutherland ran east down 8th Street and turned north into Sutherland.[3]
The Wildwood Golf Course existed before any residential development occurred.[4] It opened on July 1, 1931, and was Saskatoon's first golf course.[5] As well, the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association operated a racing oval on land between the present-day Moss Avenue and McKercher Drive. In 1968, the SSRCA had to find another home when the City of Saskatoon announced its intention to expand eastward and annex the land.[6]
The land where Wildwood now exists was annexed in the period between 1970 and 1974,[7] and the golf course's name was chosen for the name of the new neighbourhood.[8][9] Home construction was at its peak from 1971 until 1980.[1] Wildwood School opened on May 9, 1978.[10] Bishop Pocock School opened in 1978, and the Lakewood Civic Centre was opened in 1988.[11]
Government and politics edit
Wildwood exists within the federal electoral district of Saskatoon—Grasswood. It is currently represented by Kevin Waugh of the Conservative Party of Canada, first elected in 2015.[12]
Provincially, the area is divided by Heritage Crescent into the constituencies of Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood and Saskatoon Southeast. Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood is currently represented by Lisa Lambert of the Saskatchewan Party since 2016. Saskatoon Southeast is currently represented by Don Morgan of the Saskatchewan Party since 2003.[13]
In Saskatoon's non-partisan municipal politics, Wildwood lies within ward 9. It is currently represented by Councillor Bev Dubois, first elected in 2016.[14]
Institutions edit
Education edit
| Bishop Pocock School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
227 Avondale Road , , S7H 5A5 Canada | |
| Information | |
| Type | Elementary |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Catholic |
| Opened | 1977[15] |
| School board | Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools |
| Principal | Andrew Novecosky |
| Grades | Kindergarten to Grade 8 |
| Enrollment | 166[16] (2017) |
| Education system | Separate |
| Language | English |
| Feeder to | Holy Cross High School |
| Website | Bishop Pocock School |
| Wildwood School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| | |
203 Rosedale Road , , S7H 5H1 Canada | |
| Information | |
| Type | Elementary |
| Opened | 1978 |
| School board | Saskatoon Public School Division |
| Principal | Candace Ahmed |
| Grades | Kindergarten to Grade 8 |
| Enrollment | 227[16] (2017) |
| Education system | Public |
| Feeder to | Walter Murray Collegiate |
| Website | Wildwood School |
- Bishop Pocock School - separate (Catholic) elementary, part of Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools[17]
- Cliff Wright Branch Library - officially opened on January 9, 1989, as part of the Lakewood Civic Centre.[18]
- Wildwood School - public elementary, part of the Saskatoon Public School Division[19]
Public Safety edit
- Fire Station #6 - covers the southeast area of Saskatoon. This hall has a one captain and four firefighters that work on each of the four shifts.[20]
Parks and recreation edit
- Heritage Green - 1.65 acres (0.67 ha)
- Heritage Park - 9.1 acres (3.7 ha)
- Lakewood Park, district section - 14.51 acres (5.87 ha)
- Wildwood Park - 20.61 acres (8.34 ha)
- Lakewood Park, multi-district section - 25.34 acres (10.25 ha)
Parts of Lakewood Park are landscaped with natural prairie grassland vegetation. As well, the park contains a constructed wetland area, designed to remove pollutants from stormwater and control runoff. The wetland's waters and native plants in turn provide habitat for native aquatic animals, insects, and birds.
The Wildwood Community Association coordinates recreational programs and social activities, maintains the park and outdoor rink, and promotes the well-being of residents. The volunteer-run association also provides a voice for the community on issues of local concern.[21]
The Lakewood Civic Centre houses a swimming pool and waterslide, fitness facilities, meeting and recreational space, and the Cliff Wright Branch Library all in one facility.[22]
The Wildwood Golf Course is an 18-hole course that has an intermediate level of play. It includes a practice green, pro shop and coffee shop.[23]
Commercial edit
Wildwood's northern border includes the eastern end of the 8th Street business district. Predating Wildwood's residential development to the south, the County Fair Plaza shopping centre operated at Circle Drive and 8th Street and included a Zellers department store and Canada Safeway. In 1977, Wildwood Mall opened[24] across Acadia Drive from County Fair Plaza on the former Stephenson dairy farm land[3] and added retailers such as Woolco (and later Wal-Mart) to the area. In the mid-1980s, County Fair Plaza was expanded into a larger mall called Circle Centre Mall. In the late 1990s, Wildwood Mall (which had been struggling since losing one of its anchor tenants, Dominion grocery stores) and Circle Park merged to become The Centre at Circle and 8th, which was later rebranded The Centre, with the two malls linked via a tunnel under Acadia Drive. In addition to The Centre, a few satellite businesses are located in freestanding buildings along 8th Street, straddling the mall property.
Location edit
Wildwood is located within the Lakewood Suburban Development Area. It is bounded by 8th Street to the north, Boychuk Drive to the east, Taylor Street to the south, and Circle Drive to the west. Inside those boundaries, the roads are a mix of local and collector roads. McKercher Drive, a north-south arterial road, roughly bisects the neighbourhood; Acadia Drive is another north-south arterial road in the west half of Wildwood.
References edit
- ^ a b "City of Saskatoon - Neighbourhood Profiles - 16th edition" (PDF). City of Saskatoon - City Planning Branch. 2016. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
- ^ "Executive Summary – Rosewood Groundwater Study" (PDF). Hydrogeologic Investigation - Rosewood Subdivision. WaterMark Consulting Ltd. February 28, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-07. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
- ^ a b Duerkop, John (2000). Roberta Coulter (ed.). Saskatoon's History in Street Names. Purich Publishing. p. 237. ISBN 1-895830-16-8.
- ^ "Wildwood Golf Course". Online Highways. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
- ^ "Wildwood Golf Course a hole-in-one of history". CBC News. 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
- ^ "SSCRA History". Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Club. Retrieved 2016-02-25.
- ^ Populace Spring 2006, vol. 8, City of Saskatoon - City Planning Branch, Spring 2006, p. 5
- ^ "History of Wildwood". Wildwood Community Association. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
- ^ Duerkop, John (2000). Roberta Coulter (ed.). Saskatoon's History in Street Names. Purich Publishing. p. 30. ISBN 1-895830-16-8.
- ^ Blashill, Lorraine (1982). E.T. Russell (ed.). From a little stone school... History of Saskatoon Public Schools. Modern Press Ltd. p. 149.
- ^ "City of Saskatoon Municipal Manual" (PDF). City of Saskatoon - City Clerk's Office. July 2007. Retrieved 2016-02-25.
- ^ Current Members of Parliament, retrieved 2017-04-16
- ^ Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan - Members of the Legislative Assembly, retrieved 2017-04-16
- ^ City Councillors - Saskatoon.ca, retrieved 2017-04-16
- ^ Celebrating a Century of Faith and Learning - A History of Saskatoon's Catholic Schools. Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. 2015. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-9947443-0-2.
- ^ a b Active List of Saskatchewan Schools/Programs (PDF), retrieved 2018-02-10
- ^ "Bishop Pocock School". Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
- ^ "Cliff Wright Branch". Saskatoon Public Library. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
- ^ "Wildwood School". Saskatoon Public School Division. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
- ^ "Fire and Protective Services - East Division". City of Saskatoon. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
- ^ "Wildwood Community Association". City of Saskatoon - Community Services Department. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
- ^ "Lakewood Civic Centre". City of Saskatoon - Leisure Services Branch. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
- ^ "Wildwood Golf Course". City of Saskatoon - Leisure Services Branch. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
- ^ "Popular Searches of the Local History Collections Database". Saskatoon Public Library. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
External links edit
