Evening of History supports Selkirk Heritage Endowment Fund
The City of Selkirk once again hosted their annual Evening of History event which supports the Selkirk Heritage Endowment Fund. This year former mayors Bill Shead and Bud Oliver took to the stage to discuss Selkirk’s Volunteer Legacy.
The evening’s opening remarks were made by Selkirk CAO Duane Nicol. He introduced the former mayors who both served terms in the 1980s, Shead from 1980- 83 and Oliver from 1983-1992 and spoke about the evening’s event.
“As most of you will know tonight’s event is a fundraiser for the Selkirk Heritage Endowment Fund. The SHEF as we like to call it was established in 2012. And as the city’s first endowment fund,” he said.
He went on to explain that the SHEF was established to support the costs of a new municipal heritage museum. Until that museum is established, the fund is currently providing grants to the city’s online museum as well as our local Marine Museum of Manitoba.
Bud Oliver then took over beginning the fireside chat portion of the evening.
“The volunteerism that we see and continue to see in this community is amazing,” he said.
He started the evening off with the story of the Selkirk Golf and Country Club and how it was only thanks to volunteers that the club was established and maintained in our community over the years.
“As far as I understand it in the 1930s a group of citizens got together and they struck a deal with the then council to get a lease on the floodplain land and they were able to get that extended lease,” said Oliver.
A nine-hole golf course was created and by the 1960’s Oliver says that the clubhouse was not much more than a shed.
From there he says the volunteers at the golf course were able to get a grant and work with a local heavy equipment school to have the students build the dike that limits flooding to the area.
He said that it was around that time that the golf course was extended to 18 holes.
Unfortunately in the 90s, the dike needed repairs that were going to be very costly. Oliver explained that it was the club’s volunteers that believed in having this golf club in Selkirk who decided to go forward with the dyke repair even though it would be expensive.
He then moved on to the story of the pool in Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School. The pool in the high school is special because it is the only high school in the province that has a pool in the building.
“They were able to get it attached to the brand new high school that was under construction. It was included on the plans and all the workups and the rest of the requirements but it was known that this part from that wall on, the swimming pool, had to be paid for by the community,” said Oliver.
He continued saying that a group came together and they raised funds but unfortunately, the cost of the pool turned out to be much higher than initial estimates.
Undeterred by the increased price the community came together to volunteer and fundraise and pledge to make up the difference.
“In 1970 People would pledge $100 and pay it $10 a month,” said Oliver.
Shead then took over discussing how much volunteers have given to our community.
“Just put everything that we see going on today [into perspective. It] is based on the strength of the volunteers that we have in the community. If it wasn’t for the volunteers, I don’t think you’d see things happening like they are today,” said Shead.
When discussing a tight situation that he found himself in as a volunteer, Shead said to the people involved that we don’t need money we need friends.
He shared how taking an incremental approach to volunteering progress is made and large projects can be tackled.
“The swimming pool, our golf course, our arena, everything that you see in this community has a volunteer component,” he explained.
There was then a brief Q and A session with the former mayors before the silent auction and door prize draw took place.
The rest of the evening was filled with a performance by Terry Danyleyko and Barry Thornaldson.
