Businesses of Bridgwater – Fantastic Free Press Article

Jan 29, 2025

Photo Credit Mikaela MacKenzie

Thank you to the Winnipeg Free Press for covering the growing business community!

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Bridgwater rises on development boom

By: Gabrielle Piché

Winnipeg Free Press, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025

From his grocery store window, Babu Sultan has watched his surroundings blossom. He first carted halal meats and naan bread into Essentials Bazar Ethnic Foods two years ago. Altea Active — a mammoth gym spanning at least 80,000 square feet — had already opened across the street. Save-On-Foods and Red River Co-op were Bridgwater staples. The Uncle Omlet restaurant opened in the same strip mall as Essentials Bazar earlier this month. Chai Mehfil, another restaurant, popped up just four months ago.

Waverley West — the City of Winnipeg ward encompassing Bridgwater — saw a population increase of 36.6 per cent between 2016 and 2023. Meanwhile, more than 60 businesses have opened in Bridgwater over the past decade. Development isn’t stopping. “I was thinking the area will be … successful for the business,” said Sultan, 60. He moved to Bridgwater from Dubai nearly three years ago, following his children’s relocation to south Winnipeg. The mechanical engineer found a lack of halal options in the neighbourhood; it prompted him to open Essentials Bazar. Customer demand is there, Sultan said. He’s expecting foot traffic to continue growing as more housing units are built and filled.

Yannick Bohm shares the same thoughts. “There’s obviously going to be more people shopping,” said Bohm, manager of a nearby Supplement King location. The health chain opened in Bridgwater when “there wasn’t really a whole lot going on.” A subsequent boom in development has been great for business, Bohm noted, adding Supplement King wanted to join the community as it was being created south of Abinojii Mikanah.

Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) threw a block party for Bridgwater businesses before the COVID-19 pandemic. There were around 25 businesses then, she estimated. She held another block party last summer. About 62 companies were on the list. “It’s fantastic,” Lukes said. Cafés, banks, insurance companies, dental and veterinary sites, cannabis shops and pizza joints have conglomerated in the area over the past decade, she noted. Many brands are firsts in Winnipeg. Commercial spaces continue to open on the main floors of new housing complexes. One of the challenges local companies face is a lack of public awareness, Lukes said. “We’re not on a linear strip,” she said. “We’re not like Pembina Highway, we’re not like Henderson (Highway).” She threw the block party in September, in part, to bring visibility to Bridgwater shops. They’re often tucked off roundabouts or in strip malls. During the event, Manitoba attendees went on scavenger hunts, entering stores to scan QR codes. “People get lost when they come into the neighbourhoods … if they’re not from the area,” Lukes said.

She’s encouraged businesses to target their advertising locally. She’ll meet with the area’s enterprises in February to further discuss promotion, Lukes said, noting more signage will be erected. “I would love to see the businesses marketing themselves as a destination,” Lukes said. “There’s strength in numbers.” When asked about creating a business improvement zone, Lukes pointed to BIZ levies: “Businesses have a lot of challenges … I think there’s a hesitancy to that.” The area might be better suited for a business association, she added. Meantime, she’s looking south of Bridgwater for future commercial development.

Three swaths of land near the intersection of Kenaston Boulevard and Waverley Street are pegged for business growth. Lukes highlighted property west of South Pointe School, space immediately surrounding the new Payworks headquarters and a lot west of it across Kenaston. Property developer Ladco Co. Ltd. is overseeing development and project timelines, Lukes said. Ladco declined to provide project details for the South Pointe property Monday. “I think we’re on the cusp of hearing some great announcements,” Lukes said.

Waverley West is Winnipeg’s fastest growing ward, a 2023 city report outlined. Between 2016 and 2023, the area’s population grew by 16,111 people (36.6 per cent). Winnipeg’s total population jumped 11.3 per cent during the same timeframe, according to city data. Barb Ginter-Boyce moved to Bridgwater in July. She was looking to downsize and was drawn to her apartment building’s amenities — a gym, dog washing station and clubhouse. Ginter-Boyce called the business landscape “convenient.” “My bank is here, grocery store is here,” she said during a Save-On-Foods run. “It’s just all nice and contained.” Bridgwater was built with a town centre in mind. Building permits for the community started being taken out in 2009. The neighbourhood’s median household income hovers between $100,000 to $124,999, a 2023 City of Winnipeg demographic outlook shows.

To the east, Sage Creek has also seen rapid growth in businesses and residents, noted Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital). He counted 3,200 doors in Sage Creek in May. Some 10,000 people live in the neighbourhood, Mayes approximated. In 2021, roughly 7,400 residents called Sage Creek home. “(It’s been) non-stop growth,” said Angele Lavergne, owner of Marquis Dance Academy. She relocated her studio to Sage Creek around nine years ago. More space and the promise of young local families drew her. Now, upwards of 1,000 students are registered at Marquis. She’s clocked dentists, physiotherapists, pet stores and restaurants moving in: “The community is getting every single service they could imagine.” Bonavista, a nearby southeastern community, is one to watch for business development, Mayes said. The community is still in its infancy.

The Refinery District in Winnipeg’s River Heights-Fort Garry ward, also in its infancy, is growing its commercial space. Jino Distasio, a University of Winnipeg urban geography professor, said he’s “not surprised” to see more commercial and retail hubs in Bridgwater and Sage Creek. “In many ways, this was expected and planned for as both of these subdivisions incorporated aspects of a town square design,” he wrote in an email. Further, the private sector chases customers and both communities are high-growth zones, he noted. “Ultimately, these newer areas will hit a threshold of what the local residents can support,” Distasio said, adding retail may expand to a regional scale, similar to growth along Route 90. Retail is “variable and volatile” and subject to trends, Distasio underscored. Continued population growth will require the city to balance demands for services like fire and police, he added. The City of Winnipeg projects its population will reach 972,600 people by 2028. It’s a five-year increase of 62,300 residents, an August 2024 economic development and policy document shows.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com