Early history The
Battle of Seven Oaks was fought in 1816 in an area that is now part of West Kildonan. At the time, the region formed part of the broader
Red River Settlement.
Municipal development The area was included in the original
Municipality of Kildonan, established in 1876. In 1914, Kildonan was divided into eastern and western halves. Further boundary changes followed, and in 1921 the more developed western portion separated from the largely rural area known as
Old Kildonan, forming West Kildonan with boundaries similar to those used today. West Kildonan developed as one of the earliest residential suburbs serving the city.
Residential growth. The areas east of the CPR Winnipeg Beach tracks and south of Hartford Avenue were substantially developed by the 1910s and 1920s. West of the tracks,
Winnipeg's Garden City neighbourhood was developed in the 1950s and 1960s, as was the area north of Hartford Avenue east of the tracks. The Garden Park community located north of Leila Avenue and west of the CPR tracks was developed beginning in the late 1950s.
City status and amalgamation The municipal hall of the Rural Municipality of West Kildonan was located at 1760 Main Street. In January 1961, the rural municipality applied to the Province of Manitoba for city status. At that time, it had a population of approximately 19,000 and a total tax assessment of about C$15 million. Legislative approval was granted in April 1961, allowing both West Kildonan and Transcona to become cities. The first city council meeting of the City of West Kildonan was held on April 25, 1961. West Kildonan operated as an independent city until 1972, when it was amalgamated into Winnipeg. Today, it forms a residential area within the city. ==Demographics==