Farming, Manufacturing, Flour Mills, and other Early Businesses.
Part 1 The Van Horne Farm It has always been a profound belief of mine that the things which people regard as next to impossible are the easiest things to do. Consequently I have always set myself out to perform the next-to-impossible, wherever I have run against it – Sir William Van Horne. To understand…
A look at some of the earlier farmers and farming techniques in the Red River North Region. PDF. Click the arrow below to view this document in a new page on your browser.
By 1935, the Van Horne Farm had pretty well run its course as a showplace of Western Agriculture. Bad economic conditions, and severe drought on the prairies had combined to take its toll. The Shorthorn herd which had been an important part of the operation, had declined in size and in quality. Purebred bulls brought…
Ken Cybulsky owns and operates the largest single strawberry operation within the province of Manitoba. It is situated in a park like setting along the east bank of the historic Red River covering ll0 acres of Lots 99 to 104 within the Parish fl St. Clements. better known as Henderson Highway North (Kitchener area). The…
Sir William Van Horne (1843-1915) – “It has always been a profound belief of mine that the things which people regard as next to impossible are the easiest things to do. Consequently I have always set myself out to perform the next-to-impossible, wherever I have run against it.” William Cornelius was the first of five…
Among the earliest and most vivid of my childhood recollections are those of my father’s old watermill. And, while this ancient and primitive institution was by no means unique among its fellows, nor the first of its kind in the Red River settlement, I think it sufficiently typical and the facts connected with its construction…
Developed on the banks of Gunn’s Creek, Gunn’s mill was a local center of industry and commerce. Built by John Gunn, this mill, even after being continuously thwarted by major setbacks, managed to create large amounts of produce for all citizens within the area. Not only was it foremost in the communities’ business enterprise, it…
Booklet developed by David Butterfield for the St. Clements Heritage Group. This document is also available in smaller-sized parts, for ease of download: John Gunn’s Water Mill Research Report (51 pages 4.82 MB) John Gunn’s Water Mill Drawings (12 pages 4.84 MB) John Gunn’s Water Mill. A graphic recreation of an early nineteenth century…
This document is available in two parts, for ease of download: St. Peter’s Dynevor Windmill Research Report Part 1 (38 pages 3.3 MB) St. Peter’s Dynevor Windmill Research Report Part 2 (42 pages 4.1 MB) The information from the report is also presented via a document focusing only on selected drawings developed for the report:…
Sam recalls that when they built the buildings they were placed far apart and had sand enclosing them, so that if there was an explosion that it would blow straight up, rather than spread sideways. The first Plant Manager was a gentleman called Mr. Dean Irvine. Sam relates that you had to change into your…
The C-l-L contact dates back to the early part of 1929 when a Mr. Loftus of the firm “Aikins, Loftus and Aikins” approached the Council of the Municipality of St. Clements to discuss the purchase of a 1200 acre tract of land just south of the Village of East Selkirk. By August, 1929, Mr. Loftus…
Mr. Arthur Doidge learned his trade of Pottery in Peterborough, Ont. He came to Manitoba and settled in East Selkirk in the 1870’s. He built for himself a business in East Selkirk called the “Doidge’s Pottery Works” and his large plant was situated about 150 yards south of where the old CPR Right-of-Way crossed Cooks…
At one time five brickyards operated in the East Selkirk area. They were west of Cooks Creek and run down as far as the Red River. The brick from these plants were used in the Towns of East and West Selkirk and also for the Roundhouse on the east side of the Red River. The…
St. Clements has the only Brick making plant in Manitoba. It has been stated that “Brick is the oldest manufactured building material known to man.” The earliest known manufacture and use of brick can be dated at about 6800 B.C. from the ancient Jericho ruins. The clays and shale of Manitoba are quite extensive and…
Some of the most intriguing/dangerous history of our municipality involves the old CIL plant known as Brainerd Works. Developed as one of the safest work plants of its time, it manufactured extreme explosives for mining operations in Western Canada. Discussions for the Canadian Industries Limited (CIL) plant were initiated in early 1929. Mr. Loftus, from…
There have been several Hotels located within our municipality as well as hostels and boardinghouses. East Selkirk had at least four during the period 1873 to 1899: there was the Webster House with Allan Mclean in charge, Commercial Hotel run by E. Dugard and the Dunlop House, managed by Mr. Dunlop. The Railway House had…
I remind myself of the summer of 1949, when my Ukrainian organization “Plast” (similar to scouts) camped beside a small creek which flowed from the Red River, located in Lockport off of Hwy. No. 44, across the bridge and a turn to the south. I remind myself that in the middle of this area stood…
Alexander Natchuk born October 14, 1927, loved the river. As a lad he would check the river before going to school. Alex and brother Joe caught fish, all week, for sale to the weekend crowds. They filled boxes with carp, bass, pickerel and catfish. There were some crude buyers and cheated on weight and prices….
Twilite Gardens, a private park with Polynesian overtones. was developed by Ken Fegol. a landscape contractor and owner of Fegol’s Nursery & Landscaping. It is located on the east side of the Red River just south of Lockport and across the river St. Andrews Church. In 1981, an existing reed swamp which was used for…