Best Historical Society Winnipeg Near Me

4worldlovers: Caron House, built by George Caron, is one of the original farm houses on the Assiniboine River. Caron Park was established in 1980 and the Charleswood Historical Society saved the house from demolition. Preserved as a Grade One Historical Building, it anchors the history of Charleswood with links to St. Charles.

Long time resident Barry Carr has produced an interesting video on Charleswood and some “little known facts” about our community. Click here to enjoy and learn more!

4worldlovers: This February, join us in celebrating Black History Month by learning about prominent Black figures in Manitoba and across Canada.

One iconic member of the Winnipeg music scene for much of his life was star athlete and talented pianist Piercy Augustus “Percy” Haynes. He was–and is–best known for his famed and well-loved restaurant Haynes Chicken Shack, located on 257 Lulu Street. The restaurant was a hotspot for local musicians, and even attracted the attention of internationally acclaimed singers.

But before Haynes opened up the restaurant with his wife Zena, he had already made a name for himself as a rising young athlete. His name was featured in the newspapers for several championships he won playing basketball and practicing amateur boxing.

Haynes was also the first modern Black Canadian to be enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy, He joined in the wake of WWII, an accomplishment achieved by campaining to military officials to remove the discriminatory law. It was after the war that Haynes opened up his restaurant, and it remained the source of much of his time and passion until his death in 1992.


One of the first Black American settlers in Manitoba was a man named William Sylvester ‘Billy’ Beal. In the year 1906, Beal migrated to Manitoba in hopes of a job prospect and new opportunities, settling down in Swan River Valley with a homestead granted to him in the Big Woody district. Originally hailing from Chelsea, Massachusetts, Beal grew up in Minneapolis and received his secondary education from there. His experience as a steam engineer allowed his arrival in Swan River Valley to be immediately met with the prospect of working at a saw mill within the locality.

What is most remarkable about Beal is the vast array of contributions he made to his community within the short time of his migration. He shared his love of reading by building the region’s first circulating library, and also founded a literary society and debating club. Education was another keen interest of his, and he was elected as treasurer to the Big Woody district’s Board of School Trustees. He served on it for over thirty years.


But William Beal is perhaps best known for his passion for photography. Despite being self-taught, Beal’s talent shone in his work, a product of the wealth of time he spent documenting the local people and life on the rural prairies. His subjects ranged from his neighbours to the log camps of his work.

After his retirement, Beal moved to The Pas in 1955. He died there and was buried in the town cemetery. But Beal’s contributions and impact on Swan River Valley in its formative years have begun to be recognized and preserved, a much deserved celebration to the accomplishments of one of Manitoba’s first Black pioneers.

The life of train porters in Canada was not an easy one in the 1800’s. It was a job wrought with arduous labour and long, grueling hours that left little time for rest, much less a full night of sleep. The intensive hours meant porters were separated from their family for long periods of time, often stretching to weeks and months without ever seeing them. But a job on the railway as a porter was one reserved for Black men, as it was nearly impossible to find employment elsewhere due to racist laws and segregation policies.

George Hutchinson Beckford, a Black Jamaican-Canadian who arrived in Winnipeg in 1913, was determined to find a different career than the above precedent. On his arrival to the city he worked as a railway porter for only a year before he left to begin working independently as a taxi driver and chauffeur. But this only lasted for four years, as he was drafted into the army in 1917.

When the First World War finally came to a close, Beckford returned to Winnipeg and took up work as a train porter. He left his job in 1926 to start up a cafe business, but it proved fruitful for only a few years, and he resumed work as a train porter yet again with the Canadian National Railway.

4worldlovers:
The Manitoba Museum acknowledges we are on Treaty No.1 land, the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Ininíwak, and Michif. These lands, water, and waterways are the unceded territories of the Dakota, and the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation. The Museum is committed to reflecting the continued legacy of all the original peoples of this province, including the Ithiniwak, Denesułine, Anishininiwak, Inuit, and Nakota.

4worldlovers: Built in 1904, the museum, as a previous fire hall, was used in continuous service for 86 years, until 1990.

Explore two floors of memorabilia and learn powerful stories about the triumphs and tragedies that have shaped the Winnipeg fire service of today.

Various antique vehicles and fire apparatus which were previously used by the Winnipeg fire service are on display on the original apparatus bay floor.

1882 Hand-drawn Hose Reel Wagon; 1900 Horse Drawn Hose Wagon; 1882 “Alex Logan” Ronald Steamer; 1928 LaFrance Pump; 1930 LaFrance Pimp; and, a 1966 Mack C125 Pumper.

Some of the museums most prized artifacts are items belonging to Chief “Fighting Billy Code”, including his personal writing desk, speaking trumpet, diary, Bible, and numerous articles from his exciting career.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Code migrated to North America, and in 1874, he began volunteering for the Winnipeg Fire Brigade. Code became Chief of the Winnipeg Fire Department from 1889 to 1895. His career with the Winnipeg fire service spanned 39 years and 10 months.

The Winnipeg Firefighters Museum is located in Treaty One Territory, the home and traditional lands of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Ininew (Cree), and Dakota peoples, and in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. Our drinking water comes from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, in Treaty Three Territory.

The Winnipeg Firefighters Museum aims to entertain and educate our visitors about the current processes and historical stories of the fire service. The museum relies on your donations in order to continue with the mission of the Winnipeg Firefighters Historical Society. Please follow the link below to make a secure, charitable donation.

4worldlovers:
This monument on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislature was dedicated in September 1990 by the Winnipeg Jewish community in commemoration of the Holocaust survivors and families in Manitoba.

This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.