The Modern Town 1947-1979
1947
The Devonshire Collegiate building became an elementary school.
1948
The original Garry Theatre was built by Rothstein Theatres Ltd.
1948
A 40,000-bushel wooden grain elevator was built by Manitoba Pool Elevators.
1949
A new Selkirk Co-operative owned grain elevator was opened.
1949
Memorial Hall was built and the Selkirk Arena was rebuilt after collapsing.
September 24, 1949
The first ice-free event took place in the new Selkirk Arena.
December 9, 1949
Official opening of Selkirk Arena hosted by the Kinsmen Club of Selkirk. The first hockey game was played at the arena the following day on December 10th.
May 24, 1949
Selkirk Park re-opened after the Great Depression
1950
Fifteen people were employed at the new Coca-Cola bottling plant.
1950
There was widespread flooding in April and May due to heavy snowfall in the winter and 2 x the normal rainfall in the spring.
1951
Daerwood school was built to replace South-Ward School. The school division turned to its pupils to pick a name for the new school. The winning essay came from 10-year-old Barry Gordon, son of mayor W. E. Gordon.
1951
The Manitoba Rolling Mills began a $1,000,000 expansion that created work for another 100 people.
1951
6,218 people resided in Selkirk.
September 21, 1951
Memorial Hall’s sod turning ceremony with W.E. Gordon given the honour of breaking ground first.
December 31, 1951
Memorial Hall’s first event, a New Years Eve Dance!
January 17, 1952
Official opening of Selkirk Memorial Hall.
1952
First Nations people were granted the right to vote in Manitoba provincial elections.
1953
Bethel Church began construction.
1954
The Garry Theatre suffered from a major fire in January. A new theatre was built and opened in April.
1954
The Agriculture Fair was “revitalized” after the war and in 1954, it boasted the largest dairy cattle exhibition in the entire west and the participation of more than 400 4-H clubs.
1955
Approximately 5,000 people attended the opening of the new hospital.
1955
E. R. Gardner’s Selkirk Silica Company Limited was organized.
1955
The Dyson Pickle Plant began operation.
1956
The Grace Baptist Church was organized.
1957
The post office moved to a new location a few blocks south on Main St.
1957
A new building opened for the Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church. It was funded by a procession of 300 people from the old Greek Ukrainian Catholic Church and was built mostly from volunteer labour.
1957
1200 patients resided at the “Selkirk Hospital for Mental Diseases” (Now known as the Selkirk Mental Health Centre).
1958
Ruth Hooker School was built. The school was named after the Chair of the Selkirk School Board.
June 28, 1958
The World War II and Korean War expansion was added to the monument at the Veteran Memorial Gardens
July 14, 1958
Rotary Lake opened to the public
1958
The present sanctuary of the Selkirk United Church was built.
1959
A new school was built and was named after Robert Smith. He was Manager at the Rolling Mills, first Vice-President of the Selkirk General Hospital Board and a past Mayor of Selkirk.
1959
The Carnegie Library was demolished for a new municipal office.
1960
300 workers were laid off at the Rolling Mills due to fierce competition in the steel industry. Negotiations with the Untied Steelworkers of America Local 5442, threatened to strike if a new contract was not in place by August. The layoff of 120 more workers at the Rolling Mills triggered a 92-day strike.
1960
First Nations people gained the right federally to vote without having to give up their status and treaty rights.
1961
The previously mentioned Steelworkers strike ends when most of the men were rehired to provide steel for the Manitoba Power Commissions hydro-electric project at Grand Rapids.
1961
A new water tower was built replacing the old one built in 1909.
1961
8,576 people resided in Selkirk.
1962
The Selkirk Curling Club opened a new facility.
1963
A multi-million dollar modernization of the steel plant commenced but resulted in few new jobs as the work was of an automated nature.
1963
Notre Dame Catholic Church opened a new building on Jemima Avenue.
1965
The S.S. Keenora was decommissioned.
1967
Consolidated Plastics, with about a projected 30 workers was built in the Industrial Park.
1967
Ruth Hooker School and Victoria School amalgamated becoming Victoria-Ruth Hooker School.
1967
The Lord Selkirk School Division No. 11 was created.
1968
Futronics opened a facility to manufacture electronics circuitry.
1968
The Red River Floodway is completed.
1969
Narco Drugs opened a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the Industrial Park.
1971
Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School was built. The Selkirk Collegiate becomes Selkirk Jr. High.
1971
The Victoria-Ruth Hooker School was renamed Ruth Hooker School.
1972
The Marine Museum of Manitoba was established.
1973
A new $2 million laundry facility was constructed for the Mental Health Centre and Winnipeg’s three municipal hospitals.
1975
Gaynor Foods opened.
1977
A new maximum-security federal prison was proposed for near the town. Due to vocal opposition to the proposal, the town council held a referendum on the issue with two to one being in favour of it.
1978
The proposed prison was withdrawn due to a drastic restraint program.
1979
The old Post Office was condomed as unfit for human habitation.