Chuck was born on November 10th, 1955. He was a genuine, outgoing, people-loving person, who had an infectious passion for fishing. This passion ultimately led him to singlehandedly secure the title, “Catfish Capital of North America” for his hometown, Selkirk, Manitoba. In his early teenage years, Chuck left his home to live with his best…
The Immigration Boom We live in a country full of many different ethnicities. Since Confederation in 1867, 17 million people have immigrated to Canada. In the late 1800s to the early 1900s, many migrants passed through Selkirk and East Selkirk in search of a better life. Some stayed while others chose to move further into…
Humble Beginnings As with many early pioneer settlements, Selkirk’s fire protection was left to bucket brigades and whatever citizens were available to assist in battling the flames. After two very devastating fires in 1894 and 1896, where 20 buildings burned to the ground, Selkirk’s citizens established a volunteer fire brigade consisting of 12-15 men and…
The Grabowski Family were not unlike other families in Selkirk, Manitoba during the 1950s and beyond. They were kind, hardworking, and attended church every Sunday. However, the Grabowski Family had unique differences that made their Selkirk experience more distinctive than many Canadians. Piotr (Peter) and Wladyslawa (Gladys) and their three children, Anna, Bish, and John,…
Selkirk Museum Presents: Selkirk Comes Alive Exhibits We here at Selkirk Museum have created virtual exhibits to accompany each historical presentation at our second annual Selkirk Comes Alive event, which takes place on September 24, 2022. We want to thank those who have helped us bring these stories to life, and we are honoured to…
Lady Selkirk has often been hidden from history because of her well known and more researched husband, Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk. Not many people know about Lady Selkirk and her story because she didn’t have much part in the establishment of the Red River Settlement. So, let’s take a look at the life…
The Origins of Hockey Hockey, the national winter sport of Canada. Our love for the rink has grown immensely throughout the decades, but did you know that hockey is not a Canadian invention? It was not even the national winter sport of Canada until 1994. Prior to this the national winter sport of Canada was…
How it All Started Today, with rising inflation rates, many people cringe at the thought of buying a new house. New generations they don’t get to think about the good old days of being able to pay off mortgages and being able to throw mortgage burning parties. Mortgages have been around for many centuries and…
Not Something to Cry About Have you ever gone to a theatre to enjoy a movie when all of a sudden you hear a child crying and giving their parents a hard time? Have you been one of those parents who wished they could take their child somewhere quiet but could still watch the movie?…
The World in 1882 Happy 140th birthday Selkirk! The world was a very different place in 1882. Queen Victoria was on the British throne and on March 2nd she survived an assassination attempt while boarding a train in Windsor. On March 24th Robert Koch discovered tubercle bacillus, the bacteria which causes tuberculosis. In the US,…