This museum at St. Georges in the Rural Municipality of Alexander was opened in 1970 with Jean Dupont as its founding curator. The original museum building was destroyed by arson fire on 17 May 2014 and a new building replaced it with a new name, the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum.
Located in the second building that houses larger artifacts, the original St-Georges ferry, built in 1946, shuttled passengers across the Winnipeg River for three decades. Decommissioned in 1974, it was purchased by the St-Georges Historical Society and became the museum's greatest attraction. Housed in a separate garage apart, the ferry was spared from the fire that destroyed the main museum building. The restoration of the ferry began in 2019.
The original St. Georges Museum building (September 2013)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Aerial view of the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum (October 2020)
Source: George Penner
Entrance to the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum (October 2020)
Source: George Penner
Entrance to the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum (June 2023)
Source: Rose Kuzina
Winnipeg River Heritage Museum (June 2023)
Source: Rose Kuzina
The original St-Georges ferry in the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum (July 2021)
Source: Rose Kuzina
Ferryman's sleeping arrangements and kitchen stove in the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum (July 2021)
Source: Rose Kuzina
Exhibit in the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum (June 2023)
Source: Rose Kuzina
The original St-Georges ferry in the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum (August 2023)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.53838, W96.14633
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Jean Dupont (1932-2008)
“St-Georges pioneer museum burns,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 May 2014, page 3.
“Fire that gutted rural pioneer museum an arson, RCMP confirm,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 May 2014, page 9.
We thank George Penner and Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 13 February 2024
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