Selkirk & Area Heritage Tour

Got a couple of hours to spare to get an overview of the history of Selkirk, St. Andrews and St. Clements? Well, why not take the Selkirk & Area Heritage Tour. This driving tour offers you a view of over 30 historically significant features of Red River North. Although that may sound like a formidable number, it is really not such a daunting task, and yes, you can get a good insight into what makes this region one of the most historically significant in our province, and indeed, in all of Canada.

I invite you to pick up the 35-page guide booklet pictured here. I will give you a brief taste of the Tour but the guide provides a historical detail.

The guide is available at the Gaynor Family Regional Library on Manitoba Avenue in Selkirk and is usually found in the many information brochure racks throughout the Red River North region – although they seem to get snapped up rather quickly!

The Tour Begins at  Lower Fort Garry, a National Historic Site operated by Parks Canada. Located south of Selkirk on Highway 9 the Fort was an important hub in the fur trade network, and is also where Treaty Number One was signed in 1871. The buildings and interpretive centre are open from mid-May to Labour Day in September, the grounds are open year round, and it is a fascinating visit at any time.

Leaving the Fort, you’ll drive the scenic River Road North, where you will come upon St. Clements Anglican Church (which I discussed in a previous blog).

West of the Church on Main Street is Gerdau Ameristeel, formerly Manitoba Rolling Mills: the reason Selkirk has been referred to as “Steeltown” over the years and the MJHL team is called The Selkirk Steelers. Established in 1918, the rolling mill has been a major employer in the city for over a century.

Nxt stop on the tour  is the perennial garden on Edston Place. A memorial plaque commemorates the site of the former chicken farm, Red Feather Farm,  which was used as a barracks for the 108th Battalion during WWI (1914-1918).

Just north of the garden the tour highlights four heritage buildings: three houses built for early prominent citizens of Selkirk, and Knox Presbyterian Church. Built in 1904 in Gothic Revival Style, this church is one of Selkirk’s finest architectural landmarks. Among its many features, are three stained glass windows by famed Manitoba artist and sculptor, Leo Mol.

Half a kilometre further north on Eveline, you will find The Marine Museum of Manitoba, which I have also covered in a previous blog. This impressive collection of historic Manitoba craft should not be missed.

Stuart House is a handsome brick-faced house built in 1904 for James Stuart, the first manager of Selkirk Electric Light Company, and now a designated municipal heritage building. Just north of the Stuart House is Selkirk Slough, one of two sloughs that once served as safe winter storage for large ships to avoid damage from the spring breakup of ice on the Red River.

Continuing along the route returns you to Main Street, which in turn becomes Breezy Point Road. The Dynevor Indian Hospital, a stone house built between 1862-65. In 1896 it was converted into a hospital for Aboriginal health care, tuberculosis treatment, and nurse training. Today the property belongs to the Behavior Health Foundation, and is designated as a Provincial Heritage site.

From here the tour takes you over the Red River, to Stone Church Road, where you will find St. Peter, Dynevor Anglican Church, one of the oldest stone churches in Western Canada. Chieg Peguis is buried in the churchyard here and the church is widely known for Christmas services.

Nearby is the former sight of Colville Landing, a major HBC shipping wharf and warehouse operating from around 1880 to the late 1890’s.

Continuing along you will pass the former site of The Manitoba Hydro Generating Station. Turning south, the highway takes you to Bunns Rd, at the end of which is Bunn House, the 150 year old home of prominrnt Metis lawyer and politician, Thomas Bunn. Today, this Provincial Heritage Site is owned and operated by Bev and Fraser Stewart as Fidler House Bed and Breakfast.

Back on Henderson North, you pass the site of the CIL Dynamite Plant (closed in 1970), and the Searle Greenhouses (on part of what was Van Horne Farm, established by William Van Horne, CPR President who oversaw the construction of a railway across Canada).

Next you pass the former site of the old East Selkirk Roundhouse and a little further east Happy Thought School. Originally built in 1916-17 and replaced by the present building in 1967, today this school is home to a thriving Ukrainian language curriculum.

A little imagination is required for the site of The Only 90 degree Turn in the CPR. In addition to being an entertaining bit of rail history, the story behind this is classic example of how politics changed the fortunes of a region and the Guide spells it all out!

Following along Henderson Highway is the site of MacKenzie Presbyterian Church. Unfortunately, the building was vandalized around the turn of this century, and removed in 2012. However, its existence was a noteworthy part of the area’s heritage.

Further south on Henderson Highway is the Red River Floodway Outlet and you will cross the floodway bridge to Lockport. Here is the ever popular 50’s style diner The Half Moon Drive In and a marker dedicated to Gunn’s Mill. The mill was operational from the 1850’s to 1870’s, while the drive-in has been an area attraction since 1938.

Crossing the bridge over the St. Andrews Lock and Dam,  the subject of my very first blog of this series, is another legendary diner: Skinner’s. The oldest hot dog outlet in continuous operation in all of Canada, Skinner’s on River Road just celebrated its 90th year. Hot dogs aside, it’s worth a stop just to check out all the historic hockey photographs.

Further south on River Road is Captain Kennedy House, an impressive stone structure which was a huge attraction for the area, and once operated as a teahouse. Closed due to structural probems, a group of area citizens is lobbying to have it repaired and re-opened, but to date, the Manitoba Government, which purchased the house in 1980, has ignored the requests. Not only a building of significant historic proportions, Captain Kennedy House has huge potential for the tourism industry in Red River North.

Continuing south, you come to St. Andrews Church and Rectory, the oldest stone church in regular use in Western Canada , and a very popular tourist attraction.

Motoring up to Highway 9, a right turn brings you to Little Britain United Church - the oldest United Church building in Manitoba. A little over one kilometre north is Lower Fort Garry. You have come full circle, and in two hours, (more if you stopped to explore a bit), you have covered a couple of hundred years of history