McLeod's Bakery

536 Eveline St

McLeod’s Bakery was a well-known part of Selkirk’s early bakery tradition, founded by Angus and Mary McLeod after they moved from Minnesota to Selkirk in 1896. The family-run business grew from a home bakery on Eveline Street to a larger location near the WS&LW Railway station and became a popular community fixture.

Baking in Selkirk

Selkirk has long been known for its rich cultural heritage, resilient community spirit, and charming character. Among its many traditions, one of the most delicious and enduring is its legacy of local bakeries. From the early days of settlers kneading dough by hand to the sweet scents drifting from neighbourhood ovens, bakeries in Selkirk have done more than feed generations; they’ve brought people together. One such bakery was McLeod’s Bakery.

Sepia-coloured photo of a building with a horse in the front. The horse is hitched up to a covered wagon which reads McLeod's Bakery — A.G. McLeod Bakery Delivery Sleigh, c.1900, Red River Ancestry

Angus George McLeod was born in September 1860 in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. He spent his childhood in Black River Falls, and in 1880, Angus and his parents moved to Kittson, Minnesota. Around the year 1885, he met and married Mary Ellen Thompson. The newlyweds remained in Kittson, Minnesota, for the next 10 years. Angus and Mary are recorded in the Minnesota State Census in 1895, as living in Hallock, Minnesota. His occupation in this census is listed as a farmer. Mary is also listed in the census, as well as the couple’s four children, Ernest, Raymond, William, and Luella.

Arriving in Selkirk

In 1896, Angus and Mary, with their four children in tow, boarded a flat-bottomed boat which carried them from Hallock to Selkirk via the Red River. Once the family arrived in Selkirk, Angus quickly began to make himself and his family a suitable home. Between Angus’s arrival in 1896 and 1900, Angus purchased his family’s new home at 536 Eveline Street. The house and bakery that once stood at this location is no longer standing. This was the family’s known address as in 1901, 1906, and 1911, Angus, his wife Mary, and their children are listed at this residence. The couple welcomed their fifth child, Eleanor, in 1905. In these censuses, Angus and Ellen’s occupations are both listed as bakers.

The New Fruit Store, 1907, Selkirk Weekly Record

Bread for All

McLeod’s Bakery was in their home at 536 Eveline Street, with the location of the bakery changing in 1913, when it moved two doors north of the family’s home to be located across from the Winnipeg, Selkirk & Lake Winnipeg Railway station. As the bakery business grew, Angus and Mary’s children became involved in helping out, with their son William or “Billy” being the one to help out the most.

Fruit and Confectionery Mrs. A.G. McLeod — Fruit and Confectionery Mrs A.G. McLeod, 1899, Selkirk Record and Canadian Fishing Gazette

Black and white photo of McLeod's Bakery delivery wagon and horse — A.G. McLeod Bakery Delivery Wagon, c. 1910, Red River Ancestry

McLeod’s Bakery also did what many other bakeries did throughout Canada. They handed out bread or bakery tokens. These tokens were very common throughout different time periods in history. Bread or bakery tokens were often given to customers in lieu of change. This was done to try to encourage customers to return to the store for more business. These tokens that were handed out were often made from copper, brass and in some cases aluminum, with the tokens coming in denominations of ½,1, or 2 loaves of bread.

Black and white photo of two bread tokens from McLeod's Bakery — Bread Tokens from A.G. McLeod Bakery in Selkirk, c. 1900, Red River Ancestry

Business for McLeod’s Bakery continued to grow with Angus and Mary’s son Billy taking the reins. Angus passed away in Selkirk in 1947, with Mary passing away 10 years later. The mention of McLeod’s Bakery in newspaper sources does dwindle after 1913, so it is unclear when and why McLeod’s Bakery stops as a business. The disappearance of McLeod’s bakery might have to do with a name change as in 1913, it is mentioned that McLeod’s bakery was renamed E.E. McLeod’s Bakery. Alternatively, the disappearance could also be that Angus and Mary’s children may have moved the business or sold it. Despite this uncertainty about McLeod’s Bakery closure, it served as one of the integral and popular bakeries in Selkirk.

McLeod’s Bakery Collection

Click on images to enlarge

Fruit and Confectionery Mrs A.G. McLeod, 1899, Selkirk Record and Canadian Fishing Gazette
A.G. McLeod Bakery Delivery Sleigh, c.1900, Red River Ancestry
Bread Tokens from A.G. McLeod Bakery in Selkirk, c. 1900, Red River Ancestry
The New Fruit Store, 1907, Selkirk Weekly Record
A.G. McLeod Bakery Delivery Wagon, c. 1910, Red River Ancestry