202 Christie Avenue Prior to 2020 a lonely and seemingly out of place house at 202 Christie Avenue was home to the same family for a century. Frederick (Fred) Charles Barnard was born in England in 1883 and moved to Selkirk around 1908. Annie Harris Wilson was born in Canterbury, England and came to Canada…
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…
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…
Emma Shaw Colcleugh was born on September 3, 1846, in Thompson, Connecticut. She was the second child of George W. and Abbey Shaw. Emma started her career as a schoolteacher in country schools in 1862. In 1881, at 35, Emma acted on her dreams of becoming a traveller, anthropologist, correspondent, and literary scholar. The codes…
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. Originally, Colcleugh was a contractor working on a telegraph line between Rat Portage and Manitoba. Eventually, he reached a spot where the rail line would…