This timeline of events was gleaned from the commemorative history book made for our 100th Anniversary, The East Side of the Red: A Centennial Project of the Rural Municipality of St. Clements 1884 to 1984.
It gives a chronology of events and activities that helped shape our community that can be used by students and teachers to place the events of St. Clements in a larger context.
This timeline resulted from a project we started in 2012 called Our Essential Past: Pivotal Events which was generously funded by the Historic Resources Branch of Manitoba. Using this timeline as a base we plan to develop other timelines on specific historic themes.
[tabby title=”1750 – 1799″]
| 1776 | Red River flood |
[tabby title=”1800 – 1849″]
| 1817 | Treaty signed with Saulteaux. Land granted became St. Peters Reserve |
| 1826 | The site of Winnipeg was completely flooded |
| 1829 | Parish of St. Andrews on the Red was formed |
| 1835 | The District of Assiniboia was divided into four judicial districts with one Justice of the Peace in each district |
| 1843 | William Cornelius Van Horne was born. He died in 1915. |
| 1848 | The Hudson Bay Company recruited 56 military pensioners to be ready to uphold the law |
[tabby title=”1850 – 1899″]
| Early 1850s: | Gunn’s Creek Flour Mill was constructed |
| 1850 | The Pembina Post Office was set up 70 miles from Red River |
| 1852 | Red River Flood |
| 1855 | Ross House was organized as the first post office at Red River. William Ross was the first postmaster |
| 1858 | The all-Canadian mail route between the east, Fort William and the Red River area was functioning but it only lasted two years |
| 1859 | The Anson Northup steamboat began the era of steam navigation in Manitoba |
| 1860 | September: Laying of the cornerstone of the Dominion Parliament Buildings in Ottawa |
| 1861 | Red River flood
Parish of St. Clements was formed Treaty Number 1 was signed at Lower Fort Garry |
| 1861-62 | Anson Northup steamboat sank in Cook’s Creek at its winter dock |
| 1862 | A post office was opened in St. Andrews |
| 1864 | Chief Peguis died |
| 1867 | Opening of the first Dominion Parliament of Canada |
| 1869 | November: Louis Riel set up the provisional government. The St. Clements representative was Thomas Bunn |
| 1870 | Claude Macfie formed a Brass Band that played on both sides of the river
Mr. Arthur Doidge built Doidge’s Pottery Work Manitoba became a province then joined the confederation of Canada. Thomas Bunn represented St. Clements as a MLA in the first legislature of Manitoba. A 20 man mounted police force was formed |
| 1871 | Dynevor Post Office in St. Clements was opened. It was called the St. Peters Post Office.
Mapleton Post Office was opened July 20: British Columbia became a province One of the first attempts at brick making was near Osmond’s Creek July 3: Mapleton School District No. 5 was formed A legislative act was passed to destroy the Canada Thistle |
| 1873 | Legislation was passed allowing local communities to form units on a township or parish basis |
| 1874 | Brokenhead Reserve was first surveyed by Mr. John Harris, D.L.S
The newly formed city of Winnipeg created a policing force |
| 1875 | Mapleton Post Office closed
The Winnipeg Police Force had 5 members May 25: A team of engineers and assistants, led by Sanford Fleming, began their journey to Winnipeg. Their goal was to survey for the continental railway. July 1: First telegraph was completed from Winnipeg to Selkirk on the East side S.S. Colvile was built to trade in Lake Winnipeg |
| 1875-77 | The county system was introduced into Manitoba |
| 1875-76 | The government mapped out Selkirk as a townsite on the east side of the Red River |
| 1876 | The Intercolonial Railway from Montreal to the East Coast was completed
Brokenhead reserve was enlarged by Mr. Duncan Sinclair D.L.S |
| 1878 | The railway bridge was built across Cook’s Creek. A rail line was completed between St. Boniface and Selkirk on the East side of the Red River |
| 1879 | The railway roundhouse was completed |
| 1880 | Manitoba Department of Agriculture was organize
The East Selkirk Post Office was established January: The Roundhouse was turned over to the government. It was used as a supply depot. A two mile spur line was completed from east of the townsite to east of the slough where the Hudson Bay Company was building a floating depot, warehouse and on land store at Colville Landing July 8: The East Selkirk School District No. 99 was formed The Manitoba Government forced municipal formations. St. Clements and St. Andrews became the municipality of St. Andrews |
| 1881 | The government transferred all of its railway lines to the newly created, private CPR |
| 1882 | The town of Selkirk was incorporated |
| 1883 | The HBC floating warehouse was all but abandoned
East Selkirk was incorporated The railway branch line from Selkirk to Winnipeg was completed December 22: The municipalities of St. Andrews and St. Clements were officially legislated |
| 1884 | January: The newly incorporated St. Clements Municipal held its first election
The town of East Selkirk hired Charles Madden as the first Chief of the Police Force |
| 1885 | Gonor Post Office opened
September 9: The School District of Ashfield was opene November 8: The last spike of the CPR was driven at Craigellachie, B.C November 17: Louis Riel was hanged in Regina |
| 1886 | Brokenhead Post Office was started
The CPR Transcontinental Railway was completed |
| 1887 | Balsam Bay Post Office was opened
The spur line track leading to Colville Landing was removed |
| 1888 | October 18: The Ladywood School District was formed
August 1: Poplar Point School District No. 545 was formed |
| 1889 | Mr. Arthur Doidge and Mr. Richard Kingdon joined to create Doidge and Kingdon of East Selkirk |
| 1891 | The town of Selkirk had some electricity |
| 1894 | Copies of the Manitoba Noxious Weeds Act were distributed to municipalities
The St. Andrews North Post Office was officially opened |
| 1895-96 | Mr. Deeks formed the Selkirk Brass Band |
| 1895 | May 7: The Balsam Bay School District No. 859 was formed |
| 1898 | About 2000 acres of land in East Selkirk had been purchased by William Van Horne for his farm
The Roundhouse was converted to an immigration shed |
| 1899 | February 22: The first group of 1700 Doukhobors arrived at the Roundhouse, immigration shed
April 22: 600 settlers (Galacians) arrived from the east and were placed in the Roundhouse immigration shed July: 2000 Doukhobors and Galacians were housed in the Roundhouse |
[tabby title=”1900 – 1949″]
| 1900 | The first sod was turned for St. Andrews Locks
November 6: Donald School District No. 1094 was created after splitting from Mapleton School District No. 5 May 12: The School District of Kitchener No. 1076 was created after splitting from Mapleton School District No. 5 May 15: The Gonor School District No.1070 was was created after splitting from Mapleton School District No. 5 |
| 1902 | The Greenwald School District was formed
Resolutions were passed to convert the service bridge over the dam into a traffic bridge |
| 1903 | March 28: The Libau School District No. 1231 was formed. At the time it was known as Walkleyburg
The Libau Post Office was opened under the name of Kreiger |
| 1904 | The incorporated town of East Selkirk was absorbed by the Municipality of St. Clements
May 6: Lilydale S.D. No. 1285 was formed |
| 1905 | Scanterbury Post Office opened |
| 1906 | September 30: The Immigration Shed was closed |
| 1907 | A Treaty was conducted by which St. Peters Band of Indians surrendered their rights to the St. Peters reserve and were allotted a new reserve on Lake Winnipeg
Thalberg Post Office opened |
| 1908-10 | The Roundhouse – Immigration Shed was used by various groups |
| 1908 | The Garson Quarry Post Office opened
April 7: Happy Thought School District No.1452 was formed September 1: The Mayfield School District No. 1473 was formed |
| 1910 | The Lockport Locks were officially opened by Sir Wilfred Laurier
The East Selkirk School District was reorganized and close |
| 1911 | The School District of Brookside N0. 1546 was created
The Kirkness Post Office opened |
| 1912 | The town of Selkirk installed electric street lights
The Narol Post Office opened The Walkleyburg Post Office opened July 2: Patapun School District was formed April 12: The School District of Arnnhold No. 1618 was formed June 1: Highland School District No. 1628 was formed from lands obtained in part from Ashfield, Mayfield and Prosperity School districts |
| 1914 | May 2: Mars School District No. 1774 was formed
December 10: The Canadian Northern Railway opened extended a line from Grand Marais to Victoria Beach |
| 1915 | December 6: The Victoria Beach School District No. 1811 was formed
William Cornelius Van Horne died |
| 1916 | The Grand Beach Post Office opened
The Canadian Northern Railway built train depots at Grand Beach and Victoria Beach A new school, Happy Thought School, was built from the Roundhouse bricks April 3: Grand Marais School District No. 1825 was formed Victoria Beach Post Office opened |
| 1917 | The School District of Brodie No. 1854 was formed
July: Woodrow School District No. 1897 was formed |
| 1918 | The Canadian Northern was part of the Canadian National Railway
A meeting was held to discuss building the Poplar Park Hall |
| 1919 | St. Clements Council held its first meeting in the new building on Lot 41 on the east bank of Cook’s Creek in East Selkirk
The town of Selkirk hired its traffic (motorcycle) cop Winnipeg General Strike The Sheffield School District No. 176 was formed May 1: The Hillside Beach School District. No. 1980 was formed |
| 1920 | February 5: Bright Star School District No. 2024 was formed
May 14: The Ukrainian Home and Reading Society of East Selkirk was formed and members started to build a hall |
| 1921 | Beaconia Post Office opened
The Stony Point School District No. 2077 was formed |
| 1923 | The Canadian government took over the Canadian Northern and the National Transcontinental and placed them under the Canadian National System or CNR
Grand Marais Post Office opene The first “Special Constable” was hired in East Selkirk |
| 1924-25 | The Red River Motor Coach Bus Lines ran from Winnipeg to Lockport and East Selkirk |
| 1926 | June 16: The Dunlop School District was formed
Stead Post Office opened |
| 1927 | January 19: Beaconia School District was formed through arbitration
October 4: The Hoey School District was formed |
| 1928-49 | The Ukrainian Benevolent Society of East Selkirk operated |
| 1928 | The Star Hotel in East Selkirk was built
John Homenick started the Northern Bus Lines |
| 1934 | April: The C.I.L. authorized the news release announcing the explosives plant called Brainerd Works at East Selkirk, Manitoba |
| 1935 | The Pals girls’ club was formed |
| 1936 | June 19: Gull Lake School District No. 2269 and Thalberg North School No. 2270 were formed
The Searle Family bought Van Horne Farm from the C.P.R. The Ukrainian Catholic Youth Club of East Selkirk was formed |
| 1937 | May 3: The Selkirk Bridge was officially opened |
| 1938 | Electric lights went on in the municipality of St. Clements |
| 1939 | March 1: The Glenmoore School District NO. 2293 was formed |
| 1942-43 | The Selkirk Wildlife Association was formed |
| 1942 | Augustus L. Searle started a “home weaving” program, complete with a course of instruction, in every community that had a Searle Grain Elevato
St. Clements Council decided to buy the first road building equipment |
| 1944 | The education portion of the Searle Home Weaving Program was terminated |
| 1945 | Farm electrification was administered to a pilot number of farms
August 29: CIL Plant exploded The Bait House was moved to the east side of the Red Rive The Gonor School 4-H Club was formed by Mrs. C. Hollinger |
| 1947 | Many lands situated in the St. Peters Indian Reserve were offered for sal
Farm electrification was in full swing |
| 1949 | The Parkview Hotel opened in Grand Beach |
[tabby title=”1950 – 1982″]
| 1950 | St.Clements had its first line for farm electrification from East Selkirk to Libau
Red River flood Live bait was banned The East Selkirk Busy Fingers 4-H Sewing Club was formed |
| 1952 | The Dreamers Orchestra was formed |
| 1953 | The Helen S. was purchased by the owners of the Bait House and used to catch and freeze bait |
| 1955 | September: Poplar Post Office closed |
| 1956 | March 2: The East Selkirk 4-H Potato Club was formed |
| 1957 | December 15: The Grand Beach Curling Club was officially opened |
| 1959 | Balsam Bay Post Office closed |
| 1960-74 | The Brightstar 4-H Club was formed |
| 1960 | Poplar Park Hall burned down
Walter Whyte Collegiate was opened in Grand Marais January 1: Happy Thought School District No. 1452, Hoey No. 2173 and Patapun No.1636 were consolidated into Happy Thought Consolidated School District |
| 1961 | April 29: Passenger train service between Grand Beach and Victoria Beach was terminated
The Selkirk Generating Station went into commercial service |
| 1962 | The second Poplar Park Hall was officially opened
The Walkleyburg Post Office closed |
| 1963 | The Selkirk Weed Control District was formed |
| 1964 | January 1: Poplar Post Office was opened
The first natural gas transmission lines were installed in East Selkirk |
| 1965 | The first 4-H Club in Narol met
The Northern Fisheries bought the Helen S. and took it to Pine Dock Searle Grain and Federal Grain amalgamated |
| 1966-67 | The School District of Arnhold was dissolved |
| 1966 | The School Districts of Lilydale No. 1285, Highland School District No. 1628, Kitchener School District No.1966, Mayfield School District No.1473, Ashfield No. 428, Brookside and Gonor were dissolved and their lands were transferred to the Consolidated School District of Happy Thought No. 1452
Greenwald School District and Brokenhead District consolidated and became Brokenhead School District No. 2436 as part of the Agassiz School Division No. 236 |
| 1967 | April 1: Donald School District No. 1094 was dissolved and all lands were transferred to the River East School Division No. 9
The Lord Selkirk School Division No. 11 was created Walter Whyte Collegiate was changed to Walter Whyte School January 1: Mars School DistrictNo. 1774 was dissolved and its lands were transferred to the Consolidated School District of Brokenhead No. 2436 April 1: Hillside Beach School District No. 1980, Libau School District No. 1231, Mapleton School District No.5 and Poplar Point were dissolved and included in the Lord Selkirk School Division No. 1 |
| 1968 | Bright Star School District 2024 consolidated with the Agassiz School Division No. 13
January 1: The Glenmoore School District No. 2293, Ladywood School District No. 555, Thalberg School DistrictNo. 1411 and Gull Lake School District were dissolved and students were transferred to the Agassiz School Division No. 13 The Red River Floodway was completed The current Municipal office was opened at the corner of Colville and Quarry Roads The St. Clements Volunteer Fire Department was formed |
| 1969 | The Bait House was moved to the west side of the Red River |
| 1970-71 | Red River Brick and Tile plant was built |
| 1970 | Grand Marais, Balsam Bay, Beaconial, Dunlop, Stony Point, Victoria Beach, Belaire, and Hillside schools students were absorbed by Walter Whyte School
September 11: The Brainerd explosives plant ceased manufacturing of high explosives and became a storage warehouse The Kirkness Post Office closed The Narol Post Office closed Thalberg Post Office closed Brokenhead Post Office was closed |
| 1971 | Students from Brokenhead were integrated and enrolled from Grade 4 into Happy Thought School within the provincial schools |
| 1972 | November 1: The first meeting of the East Selkirk Recreation Association was held at Happy Thought School |
| 1973 | Right Angle Farms was incorporated to acquire and operate Searle Farms property |
| 1974 | The owners of the Bait House built the Lily-Ann to catch minnows for bait
November 25: The 1st St. Clements Brownies and Guides received their Certificate of Registration November 12: The new chapter of the Knights of Columbus held its first admission degree ceremony |
| 1976 | St. Clements Municipality divided the St. Clements Volunteer Fire Department into the two Departments of Grand Marais and East Selkirk
Gonor Post Office was phased out as Gonor became a RR of Winnipeg |
| 1977 | The Narol Golden Age Club held its first meeting |
| 1978 | The last Police Chief of East Selkirk resigned
Ken Cybulsky started the Stawberry Patch along the east side of the Red River |
| 1981 | The East Selkirk Community Club Building (Rec Centre) was finished |
| 1982 | The official opening of the East Selkirk Community Club (Rec Centre)was held
Brokenhead Mission School burned down and the K-Grade 3 students were sent to Walter Whyte School C.I.L. removed all of the buildings from the Brainerd explosives plant site September 2: The first meeting of the East Selkirk Recreation Centre was held |
| 1983 | February 13: The official opening of the E.S.R.A. skating rink was held |
[tabbyending]