Parade of Homes featuring the best of new homes in Manitoba, Canada
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1481503
A visit to Taylor Farm in Headingley can feel a bit like taking a trip back in time. While the streets are lined with beautiful modern homes, monuments to the community's homestead past have pride of place. Three cairns pay tribute to Headingley School, Holy Trinity Cemetery and John Taylor, one of the original settlers. Another large masonry feature near Bridge Road pays homage to Taylor, and there are decorative nodes at key sites to share details of the area's history. "We are pretty proud of telling the story of the area along walkways and pathways in the subdivision and preserving that history. We're trying to do that more and more in our subdivisions," says Mike Armstrong, operations manager for Qualico Communities. That attention to historical detail is continuing as Phase 4 of development is now underway. A new road being built to give Phase 4 home buyers easy access to Portage Avenue will be called McGuckin Road, in honour of Malcolm and Ruby McGuckin, who emigrated from Northern Ireland in 1949 and settled in Headingley. They operated a mink ranch and later the RBM Gardens market. Their son, Roy McGuckin, built and still owns Thunder Rapids Amusement Park, north of the Assiniboine River. Along with the road name, a striking brick-and-steel installation planned for the newest entranceway into the community will acknowledge the McGuckin family's many contributions to the community. "It's a pretty neat honour," says Roy McGuckin. "I think my dad would love it. He would love that he and my mom were remembered that way. I think it would be a huge honour for them both." While Qualico Communities embraces the history of Taylor Farm, it is also contributing to a bright future for modern homesteaders. Tara Reid, sales and development manager for Qualico Communities, says the latest phase of development will consist of 56 new lots, ranging from 64 to 90 feet wide. It will also include three new wetland areas and a naturalized trail system that will connect to existing trails in the community. A select number of lots will offer lake walkouts that back directly onto the wetlands. It's the first time lake walkout lots have been made available in Taylor Farm, and Reid predicts that builders will be inspired to create designs specifically to take advantage of breathtaking views. Taylor Farm's natural beauty has been a draw from the start. It sits along the Assiniboine River, which offers a variety of recreational opportunities, from canoeing in summer to skating and snowmobiling in winter. There's also a five-acre mature basswood forest that is home to plants and animals not usually seen on the Prairies. With a lifespan of about 200 years, basswood trees are literally a deeply rooted part of Headingley's history, and the forest is being preserved for generations to come. "It's breathtaking," Armstrong says of the forest. "That's an amenity that Taylor Farm has to offer that a lot of subdivisions don't have." Visit our website at taylorfarm.com to connect with builders and view available lots. QUALICO COMMUNITIES — TAYLOR FARM A SELECT NUMBER OF LOTS WILL OFFER LAKE WALKOUTS THAT BACK DIRECTLY ONTO THE WETLANDS. POH PRESERVING HISTORY AND BUILDING A FUTURE IN HEADINGLEY By Jim Timlick 8 Parade of Homes FALL 2022