Wildwood Park Community Centre

Whether it’s Play Group, Man’s Shed, or the Wildwood Architecture Open House, check our calendar of events to see what’s happening….

Want to get involved?  Our monthly board meetings are a great way to meet community volunteers and see how you can be involved.  

View the Programs page for more programs and information.

On Thursday, April 17th from 1 to 7pm we are exhibiting documentation and projects about Wildwood Park at the Wildwood Community Centre.  
 
10 professional graduate students in the Department of Architecture have been studying our Wildwood Park from September to April under the direction of Prof. Brian Rex.  They’ve laser scanned almost 30 houses in the park, attended some of our events, and have watched the community across the seasons.  Each student has developed a project about Wildwood Park–some have proposed alternatives to Wildwood Park, some have augmented our neighbourhood, and some have worked in the margins of our neighbourhood.
 
This design studio begins a study we expect to build on Carl Nelson’s 1985 CMHC funded study of post-occupancy evaluation of our neighbourhood.  Carl did his work 40 years after Wildwood was built.  We are 40 years after Carl made his study.  Wildwood Park is a renowned Canadian synthesis of suburban New York’s “Radburn” superblock housing imagined out of late 19th c. theoretical “Garden City” principles. 
 
From 1 to 5PM we will have academic reviews of the work. Everyone is welcome to stop in and watch these design studio reviews.  Middle and high schoolers who are particularly interested in exploring a career in the environmental design disciplines are encouraged to stop by and see what design education looks like.  From 5 to 7PM we will discuss our proposals and observations on Wildwood with anyone from the community who can come to talk to us about Wildwood Park.  Our Faculty Dean, Mimi Locher, as well as other community leaders will join us in this discussion.  All are welcome whenever they have time, 1PM to 7PM on April 17th.
 
This is the beginning of an ongoing effort to record, study and promote the kind of urbanism that Wildwood Park strives to be in our city and society.

–Brian T. Rex, Associate Professor
Department of Architecture @ University of Manitoba

A new initiative of the board this year is to celebrate Wildwood through the arts. Pam Gerbrandt is a Winnipeg printmaker who creates images through a direct print making process with trees. When a tree is being removed she takes a cross-section of it and prepares the slab through a painstaking process of charring and delicate carving to reveal the growth rings. After that the slab is inked and serves as the negative for the image.

Having a long connection to the wildwood community and place, Pam has offered to make a special “Wildwood” limited edition just for us from a neighbourhood tree! This will be a limited print of 30 pieces and 20% of the proceeds will go to the community centre to support our efforts to replant and maintain our urban forest.  Each print will likely be 30”x30” and will be available for purchase unframed for $250.

Details regarding ordering, size, and delivery will be in the May Woodsy.In the meantime, take a few minutes to see her work and find a place on your wall for a new striking image!

Put this on your Calendar! Community Fall Planting 1 pm Sept 6 Purple/East Park

Community Fall BBQ 5pm – dark Sept 6 Central Park

*Details in June Woodsy