The C.G.S. Bradbury was prefabricated in Sorel, Quebec, and later assembled along the bank of the Selkirk Slough in 1915. The ship was made of steel, it was 48 meters (158ft) long, and had a maximum speed of 15 knots (28km/hr). The Bradbury replaced the S.S. Baldur and operated as a fisheries patrol vessel for…
309 Eveline Street The four-generation business, Gilbart Funeral Home, begins with James Maurice Gilbart. Maurice and his wife, Muriel Dixon were married in their hometown of Elkhorn, Manitoba. When they moved to Winnipeg, Maurice found work at Leatherdale Gardiner Funeral Home. Having found his passion, Maurice wrote and passed his exams to become a funeral…
The Asylum’s Beginnings The history of asylums begins at the turn of the 19th century in England, with the United States quickly following suit. Since then, more asylums began to pop up across the United States and in Canada. In Manitoba, the Provincial and Dominion Governments established the first asylum at Lower Fort Garry in 1871…
The municipalities of Selkirk and St. Clements had long sought out to have a permanent link built across the Red River to replace a busy ferry service, but finding the necessary funds proved elusive. That changed in spring of 1934 when the federal government announced a $40 million national infrastructure program meant to provide employment…
In September of 1906, Selkirk ratepayers voted in favour of allowing its municipal government to borrow up to $150,000 to install a waterworks and sewer system for the town. The waterworks would distribute a pressurized, filtered water supply to a network of businesses, homes, and fire hydrants. Prior to this, residents relied on their own…
Selkirk’s first indoor arena was established in 1907. John W. Jones purchased the outdoor rink used by the Selkirk Skating Club on Fox Avenue near Main Street. Over it, he constructed what one account describes as a “concave-shaped, tin-covered monster” and christened it ‘Alexandra’, after his daughter. The Alexandra Rink, Date Unknown – Selkirk Enterprise…
In February 1946, a group of people (representing more than two dozen community organizations) came together under the chairmanship of Louis G. Howard to form the Selkirk and District Memorial Committee. Their objective was to decide on a suitable memorial to the servicemen and women of the region who died in the Boer War, First…
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…
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…