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Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’
Posted September 21, 2023 | Bob Turner
When visitors ask directions to certain areas of the City of Selkirk, it is common to use well-known landmarks: the big, blue lift-bridge, the mental health facility, the hospital and so on. From the south, the longtime landmark is the rolling mills, its water tower and buildings looming large on the west side of Main Street.
Historically, two industries put Selkirk on the map – fishing and steel. Today, of course, because of an aging population, lifestyle changes, regionalization, and concern for our physical and psychological well-being, the healthcare and social assistance sector is the largest single employer, followed by the steel industry and sport fishing.
A steel plant in a small western Canadian city? You bet! Dating back to the early part of the 20th century, steel production has been important to the economy of Selkirk. Hence, the junior hockey team named Selkirk Steelers, and businesses using the words Steeltown and Steel City in their name. Yes, this is the Catfish Capital of the North, but it is Manitoba’s Steel Capital too.
Gerdau Steel Mill employs over 400 people, producing clean steel and recycling scrap metal for use in many applications around the world. It buys and recycles about 1,000 out-of-commission rail cars every year, as well as lower grade metal from hundreds of automobiles is shredded and melted down into usable form also. All told, the plant processes over 400,000 tons of scrap metal each year.
In addition to the Steel Mills, steel production accounts for the activity of some 23 local businesses in the City of Selkirk. The city is home to metal fabricating and manufacturing firms, such as Selkirk Machine Works, a steel fabricator, Industrial Pipe producing custom piping systems for specialized uses such as geothermal loops, Black Cat Blades and Wear Parts and Metcan Industrial Corporation who are key suppliers to heavy manufacturing companies such as John Deere; and the list goes on.
The steel mill in Selkirk has a long, colourful history as the backbone of industry in the area. Here is a brief timeline:
1912 Selkirk Development Co. Ltd, offers 30 acres of land at no charge, if the steel rolling mill (recently destroyed by fire) in St. Boniface relocates in Selkirk; also, a 40% reduction in property taxes for 12 years if it employs at least 15 locals in the plant.
1913 Selkirk population 1300.
1914 Manitoba Rolling Mills and its subsidiary Manitoba Nut and Bolt are established. World War I begins.
1916 Manitoba Foundries Ltd, is built, specializing in providing railway castings. It has the first electric smelting furnace in Western Canada.
1920 Manitoba Bridge and Engineering Company of Winnipeg buys Manitoba Rolling Mills as a wholly owned subsidiary. 2000 tons of bar iron is being produced each month from scrap iron and steel for the global market.
1923 Robert Smith becomes manager of the Rolling Mills.
1925 The Rolling Mills 40% property tax exemption expires.
1926 Manitoba Steel Foundries Ltd burns down and is rebuilt.
1929 Stock market crash; the Great Depression begins.
1930 Selkirk population is about 4400.
1936 Robert Smith is elected Mayor of Selkirk. He is noted for his charitable work. His activity in community causes included the first VP of Selkirk General Hospital Board (1928) and Chairman of Victory Loan Drive (1942). Robert Smith School is named in his honour.
1939 World War II begins. The mill manufactures products for the war effort, such as shell casings, gun mounts, and tank tracks.
1940 Selkirk Population: 4900.
1951 Manitoba Rolling Mills begins a $1 million expansion, creating work for 100 more people.
1950 Selkirk Population: 6000.
1960 Fierce competition in the steel industry leads to the layoff of some 400 workers, triggering a 92-day strike.
1961 The strike ends with most mill workers rehired to provide steel for the new hydro-electric project at Grand Rapids.
1963 Multi-million dollar modernization of the steel plant is undertaken. It becomes more automated, improving efficiency and production capacity. On the downside, it ultimately reduces the size of workforce needed to operate the facility.
1966 Selkirk Steelers Junior “A” hockey team founded, named in reference to importance of the steel industry here.
1980’s Gerdau, a leading producer of long steel in the Americas and one of the largest suppliers of special steel in the world, acquires ownership of the Selkirk steel mill.
1998 Selkirk reaches City status.
2023 Selkirk population is more than 11,000. Gerdau is the largest recycler in the province, recycling 400,000 tons of scrap per year. Gerdau Metals Recycling and Gerdau Manitoba Steel Mill continue to have a huge impact on the economy of Selkirk, as well as supporting many local initiatives and non-profit organizations. Their mission statement commits them to operating in a sustainable manner.
Historically, the importance of the rolling mill/steel mill to Selkirk and district is evident when you talk to people whose families have been employed there for three and four generations, or have worked for other businesses in the area involved in various facets of the iron and steel industry. People have positive comments about the mill as a place of employment, particularly from the 1960’s onward.
Today, the steel mill continues to be a major landmark in the area, and an important economic contributor to the vitality of Red River North.
Whatever the season, there’s always a reason to spend time in Red River North!
