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Pictured above: Ross McGowan, one of the five "custodians" of Wildewood Clubhouse, and Teressa Friesen, Commercial Relationship Manager for Cambrian Credit Union.
Sunlight streams through the windows of Wildewood Clubhouse, filling the dining area with warmth and showcasing the lush green golf course stretching into the distance. Golfers and community members chatter and laugh as they come and go, a server bustling around the tables.
It’s a lively scene, and one that has returned to Wildewood in a new way. Years after the course’s former clubhouse was demolished, a new Wildewood Clubhouse opened its doors on July 1.
Its opening marks a new chapter for a place that has long brought the community together.
The original clubhouse for the Wildewood Golf Course, established in 1951, was a community hub that contained golf facilities, curling, tennis courts, aquatics, and badminton. It was demolished and replaced with condos in 2016, at which point the golf course lost its clubhouse. At that time, the golf course remained, but there was no building.
Recently, years later, the previous tenant gave up the lease, and the future of the golf course and surrounding green space was uncertain. It was then that Ross McGowan, retired landscape architect and influential community member, approached the city, knowing the lease was expiring, and inquired whether they would entertain the idea of local residents taking it over as a non-profit.
From there, beginning in 2022, McGowan and four other community members Doug Harvey, David Quinton, Blake Fitzpatrick, and Rob Coghlan, negotiated a 25-year lease with the city to build and operate a non-profit enterprise for the benefit of the Wildewood community.
Today, the clubhouse is in full swing, complete with restaurant and gift shop. It’s not only a place to gather, but it’s a legacy reminiscent of the history of the golf course and the surrounding community.
“We started here with the idea of preserving an important green space and enhancing it for future generations," says McGowan.
For McGowan, the biggest reward has been community appreciation.
"The gratification we get out of this is the thank-yous,” he says. “That's all we really need."
Neighbours regularly come by for lunch, a glass of wine, and gathering on the clubhouse patio. This was exactly the vision behind the clubhouse.
“Everyone is welcome,” says McGowan. “We have a culture of respect.”
Notable features of the clubhouse include restored photographs from the 1950s discovered in storage and then framed. There is also a plaque preserved from the previous building, hung up in the corner. These meaningful attributes point to the longstanding value of the clubhouse and what it can continue to give back to the community for years to come.
The construction of the new clubhouse was made possible through a combination of funds from the City of Winnipeg, generous contributions from the community, and a mortgage facility provided by Cambrian Credit Union.
McGowan said the first part of the process was straightforward because he was familiar with how the city operates. He said they were great from the beginning, including with lease-related logistics and charitable status considerations. Councillor Sherri Rollins was especially helpful and supportive.
“The city has been great,” says McGowan, “We must give them credit where credit is due!”
McGowan said the clubhouse is “by the community, for the community.”
Thanks to some hard work of the five “custodians” of the course, much of the fundraising happened through phone calls and word of mouth. Community donations ranged from $5,000 to $ 100,000 and everything in between.
“Every bit counts. Everybody counts,” says McGowan. "To acknowledge the contributions, we plan to install a donor wall where every contributor will be recognized."
Cambrian recognized the importance of the project and provided the clubhouse project with a $1 million loan.
“Cambrian is proud to have played a role in bringing this project to life and supporting the redevelopment of the clubhouse,” says Teressa Friesen, Commercial Relationship Manager for Cambrian Credit Union.
“We have always placed a strong focus on community involvement and supporting projects that bring people together,” she adds. “The redevelopment of the clubhouse at Wildewood Golf Course is a great representation of the values we look to support.”
The newly built clubhouse has become more than just a welcome addition for the golfers who use the course. It has also become a gathering place for the broader community, whether stopping in for a bite to eat, enjoying the patio, or simply spending time together.
McGowan and the other directors are proudly keeping the clubhouse up and running, and they are excited for what’s in store in the years to come!
Unfortunately, Doug Harvey passed away on September 16, 2026. As a tribute to his long standing commitment to the community, the patio has been named HARV’s in his honor. Read his obituary here.
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