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Written by: Emily Karklin 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…
Written by: Katrina Eeles History Uncovered History is all around us, in the way we speak, the places we go, and the homes we live in. This was especially true for one of the oldest houses in Selkirk. This house was made from logs, carved wooden pegs and hand-made nails, and was built in 1870…
Written by: Emily Karklin Selkirk’s Parks The City of Selkirk has seven beautiful parks to visit and with all the cold winter weather we have experienced this past season, they are the perfect places to explore! The seven parks in Selkirk are: Little Lake Park Murray Sinclair Park Selkirk Park Red Feather Farm Veterans Memorial…
Written by: Emily Karklin Selkirk Prospers Just like any other town, money makes a community grow. When it’s in great supply, the town thrives. This is exactly what happened to Selkirk at the end of the Great Depression. Once the post-war boom hit town, Selkirk did not hold back on trying to expand and grow.…
The sixth annual Noventis Credit Union Evening of History, a City of Selkirk initiative, and fundraiser for the Selkirk Heritage Endowment Fund (SHEF), will be held this year on May 11 at Memorial Hall. “The event is growing and we’re in a time of respecting our distances, so it was fitting to hold this year’s…
This peculiar chair found tucked away in the City of Selkirk council chambers has been an oddity for passersby to gawk at for many years. Staff and council have no idea how long it’s been sitting there and had little context behind its significance. Accompanying the chair has a note that reads “Horn Chair –…
Written by Ruth Hooker’s Granddaughter Joen Hadfield Ruth Hooker was born Ruth Caroline Moody and was the youngest of four. The Moody home — the big, square, yellow house on North Main Street —was bought by her family in 1900 and it was there that she was born on June 19th of the same year.…
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…
By 1884, Selkirk, Manitoba had turned from a map dot into a booming little town on the banks of the Red River. New businesses began popping up all over, like the Manitoba Asylum (now known as the Selkirk Mental Health Centre) which was headed by Dr. David Young, the first Merchant’s Hotel built by John Christian Schultz. In…
Have you ever wondered who the streets in Selkirk are named after? Well, wonder no more! Take yourself on a tour using our virtual Streets of Selkirk tour and learn all about the famous (and infamous) namesakes of Selkirk’s streets. Follow the map for a stroll down Eveline Street and learn about namesakes like Alexander…
In 1882, James Colcleugh was the man of the hour. After the Town of Selkirk became a recognized town under the provincial Municipal Act, he served as Selkirk’s first mayor and is often thought of as the founder of Selkirk. Originally, Colcleugh was a contractor working on a telegraph line between Rat Portage and Manitoba.…
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…
What’s new with the Selkirk Museum? Click and discover the city’s storied past When the city launched the virtual wing of the Selkirk Museum in 2018 it was with the knowledge that it was an incomplete site at that time and due to the fact that history is constantly being made, it always would be.…
History is made every minute, so it’s safe to say that capturing and documenting it is a never-ending task. Likewise, technology is changing every minute as well and what’s new is old before you can even finish your sentence. The City of Selkirk is marrying these two constantly evolving realities to launch a virtual version…
