Dalnavert Visitors Center Opening
MHS Annual General Meeting and Luncheon
President's Message
New MHS members
Donations
Obituaries
MHS Spring Field Trip
Belgian Club Celebration
Made in Manitoba - A Musical Legacy
MHS Council Members Sought
Who is Your Canadian Heroine?
Winnipeg Archives Digital Exhibit
Coming in the Next Manitoba History
Report from 54 West Gate: Stories of Ralph Connor House
Digitized Manitoba Newspapers Online
Centennial Farm Award
Photos of Chilean Dinner
MHS Centennial Organization Awards 2005
Margaret McWilliams Short List
Point Douglas Walking Tour
Letters to Manitoba History
Crow Wing Trail
Dalnavert Garage Sale
Manitoba Museum Travel Learner Program
Heritage News
Heritage Winnipeg Awards
Tim Worth Honoured
Rupert's Land Fur Trade Banquet and Voyageur Rendezvous
Manitoba Historical Society and Dalnavert Members are invited to attend the Opening Ceremony of the Dalnavert Museum and Visitor Centre on May 14, 2005. Doors open at 11:00 AM. Opening Ceremonies begin at 11:30 AM. Reception and tours will be given between 12:30 and 3:00 PM. All events take place at 61 Carlton Street.
The Manitoba Historical Society 2005 Annual General Meeting and Luncheon will be held on Saturday, June 4 at the Ramada Marlborough Hotel, 331 Smith Street, Winnipeg. The meeting will begin at 10:00 AM in the Kensington Room on the mezzanine floor and is open to all MHS members at no charge. The luncheon will follow at 12:30 PM in the elegant Churchill’s Dining Room on the main floor. The guest speaker will be Bruce Cherney, editor of the Winnipeg Real Estate News and author of the popular weekly column, “Heritage Highlights”. Cost of the luncheon is $17.50 per person.Convenient (pay) parking is available in the Smith Street Parkade across the street from the hotel. For more information or to make reservations and arrange payment call Jackie at the MHS office, 947-0559, by May 31, 2005. We accept Visa and Mastercard.
Next year, some of those completing the national census forms will be asked probing questions on their income, employment, sexuality, ethnicity, and education. About 80% of us will answer a shorter version which asks only our name, age, gender, marital status, family situation, and mother tongue. If Bill S-18, a proposed amendment to the Statistics Act now before the Senate, is approved by Parliament, all of us should answer a new question: Will we permit full, public disclosure of our census answers in the year 2098? If we leave the question unanswered, the default will be NO. I for one do not care what anyone knows about me 93 years from now – I will be long gone. I will gladly check the YES box because I believe that census data provide a wealth of important information to historians, genealogists, and others. The issue of public release of Canadian census data is a contentious one, with privacy advocates arguing that we should not renege on a guarantee of perpetual anonymity given to census respondents. Others (including me) believe that no such guarantee was given, and there is no legal prohibition to full access. We wait impatiently for release of the 1911 census data, hopefully sometime this year or next.
It is understandable, given the power that technology gives to governments and corporations to intrude into our personal lives, that we demand laws and policies to protect our fundamental right to privacy. But the fight over old census records illustrates an effect that our “Privacy Age” is having, and will continue to have for years to come, on the study of history. Have we considered fully the implications that sweeping restrictions on the collection, retention, and disclosure of private information have for historical research in the future? Already, amateur, professional and academic historians face hurdles to gain access to the basic tools of their trade. For instance, most historians interested in early Winnipeg have, at one time or other, consulted the annual Henderson’s Directory published between 1878 and 2000. It provides such information as a person’s home and work addresses, their occupation, and in later editions, telephone number. While undeniably useful, the Directory suffered an ignominious death due, in part, to concerns about its invasion of our privacy. I wonder how long we will enjoy the benefits of a telephone directory given that it could be perceived as compromising our personal freedom by enabling pestering phone calls by telemarketers? Some argue that we no longer need a Henderson’s Directory because its function has been supplanted by numerous directories on the Internet. The value of Henderson’s is not just that it provided current information, but that old issues continue to provide useful historical information. Will the Internet provide our telephone number and address from years past? I doubt it.
Historical researchers using the resources of the Archives of Manitoba face a gauntlet of privacy restrictions. Legislative amendments in 2003 giving access to vital statistics data (100 years after birth, 80 years after marriage, and 70 years after death) were useful only to a point. Full access still requires a formal request to the Vital Statistics Agency and, unlike provinces such as Ontario and British Columbia where the information is readily available in the provincial archives, the data are not available at our provincial archives, despite the fact that the records are physically stored there. Access to many types of provincial files require that archivists or departmental bureaucrats review their contents to ensure compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Each department has its own unique review procedure, so researchers not only have to deal with a perplexingly diverse set of requirements, they may face up to a six-month waiting period before a decision is rendered. For students and others who must complete a project within a defined (often short) time period, this is unacceptable. A system of evaluation that would apply throughout the provincial government is needed, and there should be a mechanism to expedite access for legitimate scholarly purposes. At the federal level, archival records are reviewed for compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the Access to Information Act, and the Privacy Act (the last two known collectively as ATIP) which, like their provincial counterparts, can impede the effective use of archival resources.
It seems ironic that, although we are moving rapidly into an “Information Age,” future historians may know less about our day to day lives than present historians know about those of our ancestors, because we are working vigorously to destroy (or restrict access to) the sources which provide the details. What will our children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren know about us if information is expunged in the name of privacy protection in the short term? How do we balance the legitimate need to protect individuals from undue public scrutiny and the equally legitimate needs of historians? Bill S-18 provides an example of how a compromise can be achieved. The Manitoba government should demonstrate leadership (or at least match its more progressive counterparts elsewhere in Canada) by streamlining the process to give historians access to archival records.
Despite my own ambivalent views on privacy legislation, I agree that the Manitoba Historical Society must respond to modern realities and, as a minimum, explain our practices for the use of personal information. Like many non-profit organizations, we debated whether we needed a formal policy. Legal advice was that we were exempt from the application of FIPPA because we are not engaged in commercial activities and we are not defined as a “public body” to which its provisions apply. Nevertheless, a privacy policy was approved at the March meeting of the MHS Council, the text of which is available on our web site (www.mhs.mb.ca/info/privacy.shtml). In essence, it commits us to “treat your personal information fairly and with respect.” To do so, we will henceforth require people providing personal information to explicitly acknowledge our right to use it in a way that is consistent with the policy. For example, applicants for Centennial Farm, Centennial Business, and Centennial Organization Awards must provide a signature to acknowledge that any information contained on the application form can be used in publicizing their award via our newsletter, annual report, web site, and any other way that we see fit. There are still unresolved questions. Should we publish the names of new members and donors in our newsletter? Should we publish the names of children who enter our Young Historian competition? What do you think about these questions? What do you think on the larger question of privacy as it affects historical interests? As always, let me have your views. Call me at 204-474-7469 or send email to president@mhs.mb.ca. Or weigh in at our new history forum at www.mhs.mb.ca/forum. And when answering the federal census in 2006, I urge you to agree to the eventual disclosure of your answers, and make an investment in the historical resources of future generations.
Gordon Goldsborough
John Boittaux
John & Maria Barnard
Geoff Smith
Beverly Henry
MHS Operations
John Boittaux
Anna & Inga Storgaard
Miles Pepper
Ruth Palmour
Vivian Bruce
Doris Rugg
D. Roger
Lee Gibson
Céline & Allen Kear
Irene Crofts
Areen Mulder
Emily Stamp
Monica Harder
Mardie Law
Alice E. Brown
Joyce P. Hill
Wawanesa
Paula Achetmichuk
In Memory of John Bovey
Harry Duckworth
Brock Saunders
J. A. Macdonald Dinner
Jean Fenwick
Manitoba History Journal
Gerald & Jean Friesen
Centennial Farms
John & Margaret Carter
Young Historians – Paul H. T. Thorlakson Fund
Dr. T. K. Thorlakson
MHS Dalnavert Visitor Centre
Anonymous
Richardson Foundation
Arthur V Mauro
Power Corporation Canada
Shelter Canadian Properties
Wawanesa
Margaret Morse
John & Margaret Carter
David Richard (Dick) Metcalfe, MHS member for many years died in Winnipeg on February 24. He was born in 1923 on the family farm at Carroll MB. He served with the RCAF during World War II. He received B.Sc.(Agriculture) and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Manitoba and a M.Sc. from the University of Wisconsin. He worked as a research scientist in plant genetics with the Canada Department of Agriculture mainly at the Winnipeg Research Centre on the campus of the University of Manitoba until retirement in 1989. He was responsible for developing new varieties of malting barley. He was a lifetime member of the Canadian Seed Growers Association and for several years he was the coordinator of the Eastern Prairie Barley Group. Dick was a Winnipeg Gliding Club member and a volunteer guide for school tours to the Fort Whyte Nature Centre. Dick and his wife Dodie attended many MHS dinners and field trips.
Anne Marguerite Loutit, long time MHS member, teacher, scholar and traveller, died in Winnipeg on March 12. Born in Margaret, Manitoba to a pioneer family in 1906, she was descended from HBC employees who settled along the Red at St. Andrews. She completed her teaching career in Manitoba schools in 1972 when she retired from Daniel McIntyre Collegiate, Winnipeg. Over the years Anne did research and wrote articles on local history. She edited Tomorrow’s Past, a Century of Manitoba’s Teachers. Her article, “The Grey Nuns, Pioneers of Education in Red River 1840 – 1870,” was in this book. She was on the executive in the Canadian Institute of International Affairs and the United Nations Association.
Theme: Modern Military History in Manitoba
Date: Saturday 11 June 2005
Depart from the north steps of the Legislative Building at 8:30 AM sharp. Return to Winnipeg approximately 6:30 PM.
Cost per person $65.00 for MHS members, $10.00 surcharge for non-members.
Cost includes: Transportation, two refreshment breaks, lunch, all admissions, taxes and gratuities.
Seating will be assigned on a first come, first served basis upon receipt of payment in full.
This tour will visit the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum near Brandon and the Royal Canadian Artillery Museum at CFB Shilo. The tour will first visit the Air Training Plan Museum a little to the north of Brandon. This airfield was one of many scattered around the prairies that collectively played a vital role in the Allied war effort. There are a number of excellent exhibits that record the history of both the Plan and the base. For aircraft enthusiasts there is a restored Hawker Hurricane among the vintage aircraft on display. Among other aircraft a WW II Fairey Battle light bomber is also currently undergoing restoration and we should have an opportunity to see the progress of its restoration. After lunch in Brandon the tour will visit the Canadian Royal Artillery Museum in CFB Shilo. This is another excellent military museum with a superb collection of artillery and both light and heavy armoured vehicles. At each site informed guides will lead us through the exhibits and be on hand to explain the technical and historical details to those of us who do not have a military background. There will be a refreshment stop on both the outward and return journey to Brandon.
The MHS reserves the right to change the itinerary if circumstances beyond its control so dictate. Space is limited. Avoid disappointment by booking early.
Manitoba Historical Society members and friends are cordially invited to help the members of the Belgian Club celebrate their 100th Anniversary by attending a joint dinner meeting in their building. A Centennial Organization Award will be presented to the club by MHS President Dr. Gordon Goldsborough. Guest speaker will be historian, author and MHS Vice President Dr. J. M. Bumsted. Musical entertainment will be provided.
Belgian Club / Le Club Belge
407 Provencher Boulevard
April 9, 2005, 6:00 PM sharp!
Tickets $8.00
The building is wheelchair accessible, use west entrance. Ample parking available on club property and in neighbourhood. Menu: lasagna, garlic bread, coffee/tea, dessert. Cash bar.
On Thursday May 12th at 7:30 PM, the Manitoba Historical Society presents Manitoba author and rock n’ roll historian John Einarson at the Crescentwood Community Centre (1170 Corydon Avenue, Winnipeg). Seating is limited. Call Carl at 631-5971 to confirm attendance. Silver collection.
In the mid -1960s Winnipeg was the Liverpool of Canada and produced a number of performers who achieved international stardom. The city continues to enjoy a unique place in Canadian rock music history.
Nominations are now being accepted for Council Members for the Society. The Manitoba Historical Society was incorporated by an Act of the Provincial Legislature on June 25, 1879. The MHS is our nation’s second oldest historical society and western Canada’s oldest. It celebrated its 125th Anniversary in 2004.
The Manitoba Historical Society requires talented and energetic individuals who have a passion for local, provincial, regional and national history and who also may possess specialized skills in organizing, promoting and/or fundraising.
The Society’s 15-20 member Council meets bi-monthly and is responsible for the general management and supervision of the organization. To be eligible to become a Councillor, one must be a member of the Society in good standing; reside in the province; be at least 18 years of age and not be an employee of the Society.
Those interested in becoming a Council member are encouraged to submit their letter of interest to, or contact, the Chair of the Nominations Committee by April 30, 2005.
Mr. Steven Place, Chair
Nominations Committee
Manitoba Historical Society
304-250 McDermot Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0S8
(204) 947-0559
Young Canadians, give your Canadian heroine the recognition she deserves! To celebrate the release of the new book 100 Canadian Heroines by Merna Forster young Canadians are asked to make a case for their favourite Canadian heroine in Canadian history. The subject of the winning essay will be “the 101st Canadian heroine.”
The First Prize winner will have their winning essay published in Merna Forster's next collection of Canadian heroines to be published by Dundurn Press; $300 worth of books published by Dundurn Press; $100 cash prize; and the winning essay will be posted on www.dundurn.com and www.heroines.ca.
The rules are simple! The heroine MUST not be alive, be Canadian-born or have accomplished something significant in Canada and not be one of the heroines in 100 Canadian Heroines by Merna Forster.
The entrant MUST be 12-16 years of age, living in Canada.
The biography of the Canadian heroine should be 500-750 words (2-3 pages) in length, typed or printed neatly, with all of the sources you have consulted documented (check out 100 Canadian Heroines to see how).
We must receive your entry by APRIL 30, 2005. Please send it to:
Contest, Dundurn Press
8 Market Street, Suite 200
Toronto, ON
M5E 1M6
The winner will be announced in June 2005.
For full contest details, rules and regulations, and to find resources such as posters, please visit www.dundurn.com/contests.html.
For further information please contact:
Heather Sanderson
Dundurn Press
Tel: 416-214-5544, ext. 25
Fax: 416-214-5556
E-mail: hsanderson@dundurn.com
On February 21 - Heritage Day - the City Clerk's Department, City of Winnipeg Archives launched its first digital exhibit, Pathways to Winnipeg History, 1874-1924.
From its beginnings in 1874 to its celebratory 50th anniversary year, Winnipeg faced all manner of challenges to emerge as Canada's then fourth largest city. Pathways offers a glimpse into these early years through selected documents, artifacts and photographs.
Pathways is made up of four thematic paths that allow visitors to learn about events, personalities and the look and feel of our City in the 50 years that followed incorporation. As well, the site features lesson plans for teachers of S1, S2 and S3, based on the new Manitoba curriculum, and scavenger hunts and puzzles for students of all ages. Development of this portion of the site was made possible through a grant from the Heritage Grants Advisory Council, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, Government of Manitoba.
Pathways will be a featured link on the City of Winnipeg home page. It will also be accessible via the City of Winnipeg Archives' home page and the home page of the City Clerk's Department, or simply add the URL to your Favorites: www.winnipeg.ca/Pathways.
With the launch of Pathways, the City Clerk's Department, City of Winnipeg Archives begins a year of programming to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of 380 William Avenue, the City's first public library building, built with a grant from the Carnegie Foundation, now home to Winnipeg's rich documentary history.
Jody Baltessen
Senior Archivist
City of Winnipeg Archives
380 William Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3A 0J1
Phone (204) 986-7904
Email: jbaltessen@winnipeg.ca
Our next issue of Manitoba History will include an article by Gordon Heath on imperial sentiment among students of Wesley College at the turn of the 20th century, as well as a piece by Michael Dupuis on the Toronto Star's coverage of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike. The issue will also feature a number of Gazette articles, the Young Historians essay, book reviews, and a photographic essay entitled "A Thousand Words." This latter piece – a thousand word article providing analysis and background on one particular historical photograph -- we hope will become a regular feature of the journal. Look for your issue sometime in early June.
Bob Coutts
Gordon Goldsborough reports that digitized Manitoba newspapers are slated to be available online by the end of March. A consortium is developing a new online archive of historical information on the Internet, to be launched by the end of March, at www.manitobia.ca.
It sounds like it will be a really useful resource, especially so because it will be free. Among its contents are 100,000 pages of digitized Manitoba newspapers, fully text searchable. I was informed that the following ones are to be made available:
Judith Hudson Beattie Valenzuela and
Francisco Valenzuela in Chilean costume
Manitoba Centennial Organization Awards were initiated in 2004 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Manitoba Historical Society. They acknowledge non-profit and not-for-profit groups that have operated continuously in Manitoba for 100 years or more. This program complements our existing programs recognizing longevity in farms and businesses.
At a ceremony to be held on 3 April 2005, Centennial Organizations Awards will be presented to the following:
Application forms are available for downloading from the Society's web site (www.mhs.mb.ca) and from our office. Applicants must provide evidence of their organization's founding year, by way of primary documentation similar to that required for Centennial Business awards. Recipients need not have existed in the same physical location throughout their duration or retain their original name and mandate, so long as they still serve their members in a non-commercial capacity. Examples of acceptable documentation are varied depending on the specific applicant, and may include dated business records, minutes of meetings, ledgers, newspaper articles and advertisements, dated photographs, or other materials. MHS members can assist applicants in collecting the necessary documentation, wherever possible.
Centennial Organization Award recipients receive:
Members who are aware of potential applicants are encouraged to draw their attention to this new program, for which there is no application fee.
Please contact the MHS office for additional details about this program.
The following are the short listed entries for the 2004 Margaret McWilliams Awards:
Scholarly Book
Rural Life: Portraits of the Prairie Town
by James Giffen, edited by Gerald Friesen
University of Manitoba PressFormidable Heritage: Manitoba’s North & the Cost of Development
by Jim Mochoruk
University of Manitoba PressManitoba’s French Language Crisis - A Cautionary Tale
by Raymond M. Hébert
McGill-Queen’s University PressSaint-Laurent, Manitoba: Evolving Métis Identities 1850 -1914
by Nicole St-Onge
Canadian Plains Research Centre of Regina
Local History Book
A Store Like No Other: Eaton’s of Winnipeg
by Russ Gourluck
Great Plains PublicationsSt. Charles Country Club: A Centennial History
by Barbara Huck & Doug Whiteway
Heartland Associates Inc.Rural Life: Portraits of the Prairie Town
by James Giffen, edited by Gerald Friesen
University of Manitoba PressSaint-Laurent, Manitoba: Evolving Métis Identities 1850 - 1914
by Nicole St.- Onge
Canadian Plains Research Centre of Regina
Historical Fiction Book
Louis, fils des Prairies
by Noelie Palud-Pelletier
Les Editions des Plaines
Popular Book
The Return of the Nonsuch, The Ship that Launched an Empire
by Laird Rankin
Heartland Associates Inc.St. Charles Country Club: A Centennial History
by Barara Huck & Doug Whiteway
Heartland Associates Inc.Dancing Backwards – A Social History of Canadian Women in Politics
by Sharon Carstairs & Tim Higgins
Heartland Associates Inc.Storm Signals – A History of Weather in Manitoba
by Shelley Penziwol
Great Plains PublicationsA Store Like No Other: Eaton’s of Winnipeg
by Russ Gourluck
Great Plains Publications
Short Article
Indigenous Knowledge, Literacy and research on Métisaage and Métis Origins on the Saskatchewan River: The Case of the Jerome Family
by Ruth Swan & Edward A. Jerome
Prairie Forum, Volume 29
The Historic Preservation Committee has been working on a walking tour for the Point Douglas neighbourhood. This research has been in progress for some time but will soon come to fruition. This research has also been rather interesting and the Committee is pleased with the results thus far. Preliminary drafts for routes are in place and a final walk-through will be done in late spring. The walking tour is scheduled to be available to the public on Canada Day - July 1st, 2005 at the Ross House Museum which will coincide with their Canada Day activities. More information to follow at a later date.
Have you ever wanted to add something to an article that appears in our journal, Manitoba History? Have you wanted to correct an error, clarify a point, or draw attention to related information? Well, now you can! Starting with the Fall 2005 issue, we will be featuring a "Letters to the Editor" section in the journal. Letters should be fewer than 300 words. They may be edited for space, and clarity, and accuracy. All letters, including those sent via e-mail, must have the writer's telephone number and mailing address. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Please send your letters to:
Editor, Manitoba History
Manitoba Historical Society
304-250 McDermot Avenue
Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3B 0S5
Email: editor@mhs.mb.ca
The Carilon reports that the 147 kilometre Crow Wing Trail which runs from Emerson to St. Norbert is set to open in 2006. The trail runs through the Roseau River First Nation, RMs of Franklin and De Salaberry, Village of St Pierre Jolys, Town of Niverville and RM of Ritchot. It is part of the Trans-Canada Trail. When the Trans-Canada Trail is completed, it will be the longest recreational route in the world.
In her report, Murielle Bugera, President of the Crow Wing Trail Association, said that the Crow Wing Trail association has met most of the goals and objectives set for 2004. This includes actual work on the trail, as well as completing development plans and environmental assessments.
In the municipality of Franklin a historic suspension bridge crossing the Roseau River has been restored and fundraising is underway to pay for interpretive signs explaining the historical significance of the bridge to the community. A boardwalk between the St. Malo Provincial Park and the town of St. Malo has been completed. The Roseau River First Nations is considering developing a traditional village and campground at the Roseau River ceremonial grounds.
Planners see a great potential for heritage tourism along the trail. The trail was named after the historic route that ran on the eastern side of the Red River from Minnesota to Fort Garry.
After last year’s very succesful garage sale, Dalnavert and the Ukrainian Labour Temple will team again for this year's sale. The sale will be held this year on Saturday, May 21st from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Labour Temple 591 Pritchard Avenue [at McGregor Street]. With spring cleaning underway, MHS members may wish to donate unwanted housewares, small appliances, books, clothes, tools, toys, records and tapes, and collectibles for the sale.
Anyone wishing to volunteer with sorting and pricing of merchandise on May 18,19 or 20 or to work on the day of the sale - or would like to arrange pick up of donated items - can contact Carl James at (204) 631-5971.
Designed for groups, this specialized behind-the-scenes tour takes visitors through 300 years of Canada’s rich and colourful history. The voyage begins in the world-renowned Nonsuch Gallery where you board a full-size replica 17th century ship. The journey moves into early and mid-19th century Manitoba in the Hudson’s Bay Company Gallery, where you will explore the incredible lives of the people of the fur trade. The tour concludes with a talk by a museum expert and a special look at the Hudson’s Bay Company Museum Collection and Storage Facility.
This tour brings to life the incredible impact this 300 year period had on Canada’s development, and inspires visitors to discover the fur trade in a unique and memorable setting.
The package includes:
Email the Manitoba Museum for further details about the program or to book your group. Call toll free 888-231-9739.
The Manitoba Children’s Museum is planning a $5 million expansion. The 1951 CNR engine will remain as the centre-piece of the 12,000 square foot gallery space. But everything else is slated to change. Ten new galleries are planned. The current admissions area, cloakroom and toy store will be moved to a new 6,000 foot entrance pavilion. Some money is expected from the government and corporations but more fundraising will be necessary to complete the project. It is hoped that the expanded museum will attract more visitors. According to an article in the Winnipeg Free Press on March 12, 2005 the paid attendance at the museum last year was 115,000.
Poplar Point / St. Marks History Book Committee has met weekly since the beginning of 2004 with a goal of creating a community history book. They are a group of 10, sometimes more, people who have mailed over 700 letters to former residents and interested people. They have pre-orders of 253 books and are looking for lots more. If anyone has information pertinent to their work, they would like to hear from you. Their address is: Box 174, Poplar Point, MB, R0H 0Z0.
Emerson was the subject of feature of a CTV documentary, Manitoba’s First City as part of the Manitoba Moments series that airs each Sunday At 6:30 P.M. The show reveals Emerson’s efforts to rival Winnipeg in the 1880s as Manitoba’s major urban centre. The documentary also shows how Emerson’s history is tied in with significant events on Canadian history – the abortive Fenian Raid in 1871 and the establishment of Fort Dufferin which was associated with land surveyors who marked out the Canadian Border and Northwest Mounted Police who started their historic trek west. Also, we are reminded that Emerson housed Mennonites from Russia as they traveled along the Mennonite Post Road en route to farmland in the West Reserve. The TV show was researched and written by James McClelland who taught school in Dominion City and Vita from 1974 to 2003.
The Dominion Institute is planning to present a free reading of a poem on the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on the evening of April 29. Please call toll-free 866-701-1867 to confirm attendance. The web site for the Dominion Institute is www.dominion.ca.
On National Heritage Day, at a ceremony at the Winnipeg Art Gallery February 1, 2005 Heritage Winnipeg presented conservation awards to:
The Wilson House (Klinic on Broadway, 545 Broadway), a neighborhood landmark, for preservation of the essential character of its exterior with minimal intervention.
Owners, Manfred Boehm and Ted Bloomer, for the Ramada Malborough, 331 Smith Street, Alpha Masonry and Alfred Widmer for the sensitive preservation of the Smith Street façade, historic elements including terra cotta restoration and the reconstruction of the canopy and parapet.
MHS held a special event at the University Women’s Club on March 24 to honour Tim Worth on his retirement from Dalnavert Museum. Tim provided outstanding service as curator of the museum for almost 30 years. He has been a dedicated preserver of the building and its artifacts.
Tim is a valued member of the heritage community. He represents MHS on the City of Winnipeg’s Historic Buildings Committee. He has been an active member of the Association of Manitoba Museums, serving a term as its president. He has conducted training courses for members of the association. Tim is a long time member of the MHS Historic Preservation Committee. The province of Manitoba has honored Tim with the presentation of The Prix Manitoba Award for his achievements.
Tim is a valued friend to those who have been associated with him over the years. Fortunately in his retirement Tim will continue to be involved with the Manitoba Historical Society and the heritage community. Best wishes to Tim and Jean.
Rich in the history of the fur trade, voyageurs, and adventurers, Rocky Mountain House is planning to make history come alive this spring to celebrate Alberta’s 100th birthday.
On May 20th voyageurs from across Canada will gather in Rocky Mountain House to re-enact the historic Rupert’s Land tradition of paying rent on behalf of the Hudson’s Bay Company to the Queen or her duly appointed representative. Many of these men, representing teams from each province and territory, left Brierley Rapids in 1967, the site of present day Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site, and raced to Montreal, 3283 miles in a record time of 535 hours.
To celebrate this historic reenactment and exciting part of Alberta’s history, the Friends of the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site will host a Rupert’s Land Fur Trade Banquet and Celebration on May 19th, the eve of the send-off. Supported by the Hudson’s Bay Company (Heritage), the period banquet will be held at the Lou Soppitt Community Centre for 450 people. Food, entertainment, costumes, décor, and toasts ... all will reflect this time in history.
For one evening, the Company of Adventurers, Nor’Westers, and other Wintering Partners will gather for fine food, entertainment, laughter, and good cheer. Roll up your sleeves and join the many lively characters and Friends for an evening of good fun!
Contact Carolyn Kent at ckent@telusplanet.net or phone 403-845-7311.
