The East Selkirk Roundhouse

What was the Roundhouse The roundhouse was a very big building. It was also called the engine-house. It was built to fix train engines.

When Was It Built? The Government of Canada built the East Selkirk Roundhouse in 1879. It was built because a railway was supposed to travel through the area. The roundhouse would fix the train’s engine. Why?

Where did they build it? Sir Sanford Fleming Sanford Fleming was the man who chose the spot for the railway. He wanted the railway to cross the river at East Selkirk because it didn’t flood here. The Roundhouse was built south of the corner of Colville Road and Frank Street.

How Was it Built? The building was made of stone and brick. It had four brick rooms and a basement. The building was so tall that the roof went up to 30 feet in the middle. It cost $60,000.00.

The Turntable Mr. Hazlehurst from St. John, New Brunswick made the turntable. This large table was so big, that it could hold the weight of the train engine when it was being fixed.

Changing Direction Everyone who lived in East Selkirk looked forward to the railway being built. Many people moved here because they thought the railway would help them get rich. And then bad news came. Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald moved the railway to Winnipeg. Sir John A. MacDonald

Why did it change? An Empty Roundhouse It was moved to Winnipeg because they offered to build a big bridge for the railroad to cross the Red River. An Empty Roundhouse The Roundhouse was now empty and would never be able to fix a train engine. Many people moved back to Winnipeg.

What Happened to the Roundhouse? Canadian Immigration Pamphlet in Ukrainian Mr. McCreary was in charge of Immigration in Winnipeg. He wanted to turn the roundhouse in East Selkirk into an immigration shed. The old Roundhouse would be used as a first home for people moving here from Europe. Many Immigrants were coming from Western Europe.

What is an Immigrant? Why would they leave? An immigrant is someone who leaves one country and comes to another to live. Because they wanted a better life for their children. Because they were not allowed to worship the way they wanted. Why would they leave? Because there was not enough food for everyone to eat. Because there was no land to live on.

The East Selkirk Immigration Shed $2,000 was spent to fix up the roundhouse. A second floor was made for the children and the kitchen. The roundhouse could now hold 1500-2000 people. The East Selkirk Immigration shed opened in 1899.

Immigration The first group of people that came to the shed were from Russia. There were 1700 of them. They were looking for a better life.

More Immigration Over the years many other types of people came. The Galicians came from Ukraine. They were one of the largest groups to come.

Closing the Immigration Shed 37 years after it was built, it was falling apart. The East Selkirk Immigration Shed was closed because it was not safe.

What Was the Final Use for the Shed The shed was then used as a dance hall in the summer, and a skating rink in the winter. In 1916, the building was knocked down. The stones from the building were used to build the old Happy Thought School. Happy Thought School – Stone Building

“Preserving our community´s heritage one story at a time” This presentation brought to you by the St. Clements Heritage Advisory Committee! “Preserving our community´s heritage one story at a time” Information Compiled/Presentation Created by Jared Laberge Bibliography St. Clements Historical Committee. East Side Of The Red. Winnipeg: Inter- Collegiate Press, 1984. http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/History/bldgs/flem.html http://webhome.idirect.com/~mjp/articles/images/babnjamc.jpg The End