Rothstein Theatres Ltd. entered the Selkirk market in 1938 when it took over the Central Theatre on Eveline Street. Nathan Rothstein was well known in theatre circles. In the 1920s, he owned the Arlington Theatre in Winnipeg and a handful of theatres in rural Manitoba. In 1926, he led an investment group that built several…
The Rotary Club of Selkirk has been a driving force in the community since it received its charter in 1937. Its best-known contribution is the Selkirk Park Pool (Rotary Lake) in Selkirk Park. When the club did a door-to-door canvas to raise funds for Memorial Hall in 1946, they also asked residents about other amenities…
209 Eaton Avenue Lisgar Lodge #2 of the Masons was formed in Selkirk in February 1870 and chartered in July 1871. Meetings were held in various places in the area until this building was built in 1920. The building is brick on a wood frame. Renovated in 2019, the exterior features decorative brick belts and corbelling…
Pin bowling has a long history in the City of Selkirk. The earliest mention found in Selkirk’s online newspaper archives is from 1913; an ad stating that a bowling alley and billiards hall was opened in the Lisgar House hotel by Messrs. Terry and Comber. In October 1929, ads appeared for a new ten-pin bowling…
During the Second World War, men and women from across the globe enlisted in the military together to fight for their countries. At the time, it was common to see friends and family members from the same neighbourhood enlist together. A group of enlistees from Selkirk, Manitoba were a little bit different. Dubbed ‘The Dufferin…
Selkirk is home to numerous beautiful parks that are the cornerstones of our city. These parks were not always used as a recreation space but have a storied history of the hardships, bravery, and innovations of a proud community. Red Feather Farm located on 163 Edstan Place was home to the 108th Selkirk & Manitoba…
The financial chaos that was rocking Wall Street October 29, 1929 seemed to go unnoticed in Selkirk. More than a week later, “The Weekly Record” published a brief article that chastised the foolish speculators who had been buy stocks on the margin. It all seemed so remote, no one in town had any idea of…
In the early 1900s Dufferin Avenue was a very close-knit street. The children on the block would always be playing together, developing a bond which would last a lifetime. In 1939 Canada declared war on Germany and the residents of Selkirk responded as if the war was happening outside of their door. A locally famous…
The year was 1911 and the Selkirk Board of Trade assembled at the Merchant’s Hotel for their ninth annual meeting. Charles Roland, the commissioner of the Winnipeg Industrial Bureau gave the most stirring speech of the evening. He said, “In order to obtain the results looked for, the helping hand must be extended by the…
Emma Shaw Colcleugh was born on September 3, 1846, in Thompson, Connecticut. She was the second child of George W. and Abbey Shaw. Emma started her career as a schoolteacher in country schools in 1862. In 1881, at 35, Emma acted on her dreams of becoming a traveller, anthropologist, correspondent, and literary scholar. The codes…