St. Alphonsus Rectory, Kildonan Drive, Bronx Park & National Cash Advance

St. Alphonsus Rectory, Brazier Street and Donalda Ave.

View of Kildonan Drive from Hazel Dell Avenue

View of Bronx Park Community Center from the East Kildonan Lions Club Seniors Park

National Cash Advance, Henderson Highway and Sydney Avenue, formerly Video Stop

As long as I can remember I've liked the St. Alphonsus Rectory. Even though it was probably dated within a few years of its being built, the design is charming and it fits right in in East Kildonan.

A view of Kildonan Drive from the end of the street that I grew up on. If you were to continue down Kildonan Drive you'd soon arrive at Fraser's Grove Park, a fixture of any East Kildonan childhood (at least on the west side of Henderson Highway). The hacienda-style house on the right has always been a favourite of mine and is unique among the post-war style homes of most of EK.

The newly-built Bronx Park Community Center, finished just last spring. I played one season of soccer for the Bronx Park Bruins before I realized that I wasn't really any good at it. This building is a big step up from the former community center, which was built in yellow-painted cinder block and feature almost no amenities whatsoever. It's a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. Behind me in this picture is the Red River, which will be featured, I'm sure, at some point in this series.

National Cash Advance came into the neighbourhood a couple of years ago. Much to my disappointment it supplanted Video Stop, which was a great little video store that I frequented throughout junior high and high school. I still get a little bit angry every time I go past it. I also worked for one summer at that KFC/Taco Bell. I thought that it was gross.