The exhibits in the Streets of Selkirk tour are designed to explore the history of Selkirk’s landmark streets. Identify who they are named after and important events/people/buildings on the street.
From drafting Selkirk’s very first town plans to carving out the heart of downtown Winnipeg, the Vaughan family literally drew the lines of Manitoba’s history. This exhibit explores the legacy of pioneering surveyors Amos and Lynds Smith Vaughan, their rise to local political power, and the prominent riverboat captains and politicians who made Vaughan Avenue the town’s most prestigious corner.
Pointing directly toward the Great Lakes, Superior Avenue was born from Selkirk’s absolute certainty that it was destined to become the “Chicago of the North.” This exhibit explores the wild 1870s land boom when speculators watched property prices skyrocket, betting everything on a Transcontinental Railway bridge that would instead cross the Red River elsewhere and change Manitoba’s history forever.
He was a former Confederate General, a roommate to George Custer, and a notoriously corrupt railway engineer. This exhibit uncovers the scandalous history of Thomas Lafayette Rosser, the man who defied Canadian Pacific Railway policy to give Selkirk its coveted branch line—lining his own pockets and saving the town from economic ruin just months before he was fired
From commanding a vast shipping empire that employed thousands to orchestrating the recruitment of the historic “Nile Boatmen,” Captain William Robinson was one of Selkirk’s greatest heroes. This exhibit explores his incredible life as a pioneer merchant, wartime patriot, and the town’s first great benefactor who helped build Selkirk’s foundational infrastructure.
Named to honor the “Mother of the Empire,” Queen Avenue speaks to the immense admiration Selkirk residents held for Queen Victoria. This exhibit reveals how a prestigious street address was used to entice early buyers, and how land originally reserved for the main Transcontinental Railway line transformed into a vital shipping corridor that powered Selkirk’s booming waterfront industries.
Named after Manitoba’s second Lieutenant-Governor, Morris Avenue marks a pivotal and complex chapter in Western Canadian history. This exhibit explores the legacy of Alexander Morris—from his role as a Father of Confederation and the architect of early town boundaries, to the profound, lasting impact of the Indigenous treaties he negotiated.
Originally named to persuade a local landowner to sell his property, McLean Avenue quickly evolved into Selkirk’s “Church Street.” This exhibit explores the avenue’s spiritual and social history—from the grand architectural treasures built by early congregations to the historic cable ferry whose colorful operators kept the town connected across the Red River.
Named during an era of pure optimism for Canada’s expanding west, Manitoba Avenue evolved from a wide, muddy trail of “boomtown” storefronts into Selkirk’s premier commercial hub. This exhibit explores the avenue’s vibrant history—from the draining of the Big Bog that sparked a farming boom, to its legendary tolerance for moonshine, wild saloon brawls, and a devastating town fire.
What began in 1875 as a muddy trail behind a busy waterfront quickly transformed into Selkirk’s premier commercial hub. This exhibit follows the evolution of Eveline Street—from its wild days as a bustling tent city of railway gangs and timber workers, to a distinguished district boasting grand brick storefronts and the West’s very first rural electric street railway.
From the failed farming dreams of Timothy Eaton’s nephews to a persistent town councilman who helped shape Selkirk’s early infrastructure, Eaton Avenue is packed with history. This exhibit explores the street’s evolution, featuring a secretive Masonic Hall, a citizen-funded Carnegie library, and the iconic “Blue Bridge” where an act of civil disobedience made local history.