Evening of History takes place May 14 at Memorial Hall

The annual Evening of History, sponsored by Métis N4 Construction Inc., will take place May 14 at Memorial Hall and feature guest speaker, historian and author Gordon Goldsborough.

The event is a fundraiser for the Selkirk Heritage Endowment Fund (SHEF). The City of Selkirk established the fund in 2012 as a perpetual endowment fund to support the operational costs of a new museum. Until a physical museum is created, the fund pays out grants to the Marine Museum of Manitoba and to a dedicated staff person who manages and populates the city’s online museum.

Evening of History helps preserve local heritage

Since its inception, the Evening of History has raised more than $30,000 and SHEF has granted $198,337.

Shay Nordal, the Manager at the Marine Museum, says the funds from SHEF are critical to the museum’s success.

“The annual funds provided by SHEF have been instrumental in stabilizing the Marine Museum after years of financial decline. This stable and reliable support ensures our continued operation and preservation of Manitoba’s maritime heritage,” Nordal said.

“In recent years, we’ve focused on enhancing our exhibits and undertaking substantial exterior ship restoration projects. A notable achievement was the successful restoration and repainting of the C.G.V. Bradbury’s exterior last year.”

The Marine Museum has also expanded its programming, offering new and unique tourism experiences for visitors, thanks in part to funding provided by SHEF.

“It’s a fun night out where people can socialize but they also get to learn about Selkirk’s and Manitoba’s history.”
Ellie Longbottom, Culture Coordinator

Ellie Longbottom, the city’s Culture Coordinator, says those who attend the Evening of History are doing their part to ensure the past won’t be forgotten.

“It’s a fun night out where people can socialize but they also get to learn about Selkirk’s and Manitoba’s history,” Longbottom said.

Selkirk Museum continues to grow

“Thanks to the support of the Evening of History we’ve been able to improve the virtual branch of the Selkirk Museum. There are more than 90 exhibits now and they have a great following, so it’s nice to know that people are enjoying them.”

The event is planned with the Selkirk Heritage Advisory Committee, whose members volunteer their time and knowledge to support the preservation of local stories. The evening includes light refreshments, entertainment, heritage displays, draws, and a silent auction along with Goldsborough’s keynote presentation.

Guest speaker Gordon Goldsborough brings forgotten stories back to life

Goldsborough is renowned for his work to keep history alive. He’s the author of five books including Abandoned Manitoba and More Abandoned Manitoba. He’s also a CBC Radio personality, writes a weekly column for the Manitoba Co-operator, posts videos on YouTube, and is the editor of Prairie History magazine. He’s retired from the University of Manitoba’s Biological Sciences Department, and he’s the archivist for the Manitoba Agricultural Museum and the Head Researcher and Webmaster of the Manitoba Historical Society.

Goldsborough does many speaking gigs and his year of retirement has been busy and enjoyable.

“They’re all fun. I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t,” Goldsborough said the morning after he gave a talk to the Manitoba Genealogical Society in Brandon.

“It’s the opportunity to share what I’ve learned with people and especially to tell them stories that they’ve probably not heard before. There’s a few stories in Manitoba history that recur all the time, and I am tired of them and I’m sure everybody else is. This way, I can tell stories that nobody’s heard and the reaction I’m always looking for is, ‘wow, I never knew that’.”

The 66-year-old Goldsborough admits he’s not sure when his fascination with history began, but he thinks it’s been lifelong.

“I can’t remember my earliest days, but I know certainly by the time I was in university as a student I was interested in history, even though I have to say I didn’t perceive there was a career path for me,” he said.

And there wasn’t. His career was as an aquatic ecologist and his pastime, and now retirement passion, has been history. He says it’s too bad there aren’t more opportunities in Manitoba for those with a love of history. He says he found the job prospects limited, and not very lucrative.

He kept his love for history alive all during his career and has travelled the province filming his experiences for YouTube, speaking about them on the radio and writing about them in books and other places.

“I have to say I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he said.

“I would do it all over again if given the opportunity, because the reality is I have met so many fine people around Manitoba in the course of my work, I’ve seen so many wonderful places, I’ve learned so much, that how could I possibly say I wouldn’t want to do it again?”

And now that spring has sprung, Goldsborough is ready for more Manitoba adventures.

“As the weather starts to get nicer, now I’m really itching to get out on the road,” he said.

“I have a long list of places that I want to check out, places that I might’ve been close to in the past. The thing that always bugs me is when I learn about something that was only a mile away from something else that I was visiting a few years ago, and it’s like, ‘oh, if only I had known, I could have just popped over there too.’ But on the other hand, now it gives me an opportunity to go back to those places. So my to-do list has over 300 things that I want to check out.”

You can catch Goldsborough at the Evening of History, and his books will be on sale there too.

Tickets for the Evening of History can be purchased online at HERE. If you don’t have access to the Internet please come to the Civic Office at 200 Eaton Ave., and city staff will assist you.