ABOUT RIVER HEIGHTS

 

 

River Heights

The community of River Heights is located in the south-centre of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. One of the first things visitors notice about the area are the many large and beautiful elm trees that line the streets and form a canopy of leaves that covers the streets.

The provinicial voting district (constituency) of River Heights is home to about 20,000 residents, and includes many shops and businesses where many of the people from River Heights work. River Heights also has many elementary and junior-high schools, and three community centres serving the area: River Heights Community Centre, Crescentwood Community Centre, and Sir John Franklin Community Centre.

Click here to see a map of the River Heights Constituency.

History

The area that is now River Heights was annexed by the City of Winnipeg in 1882, but substantial development did not occur until after World War I. The provincial voting district of River Heights was created in 1957, and in the general election of 1958, elected W.B. Scarth as its first Progressive Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). 

River Heights, along with Fort Rouge comprised the South end of the city in the early part of the 20th century, and was deeply involved with the Winnipeg General Strike. A citizens' committe, called the Committee of One Thousand, was formed from members of the city's South-end, and this committee, influenced by inflamatory newspaper articles and the fear of spreading Communism, helped to convince political leaders to put an end to the strike.

Since those days, the politics of River Heights has been considerably less controversial, though none the less influential in city and provincial politics.

River Heights' Electoral History

Politically, River Heights has been represented by the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba for 33 years of its political existence.

1958-1962 - William B. Scarth (PC)

1962-1966 - Maintland Steinkopf (PC)

1966-1979 - Sydney Spivak (PC)

1979-1981 - Gary Filmon (PC)

1981-1986 - Warren Steen (PC)

1986-1995 - Sharon Carstairs (L)

1995-1999 - Mike Radcliffe (PC)

1999-Pres - Jon Gerrard (L)