It's been two hundred years in the making: The bicentennial of the arrival of the Selkirk Settlers ! On August 30, 1812, after wintering on the Nelson River, Miles Macdonell led the first group of group of Selkirk's settlers to the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.
"Selkirkpalooza" begins August 31 with dozens of events in Winnipeg and the Selkirk area, ranging from céilidhs and parades to dedication ceremonies and cultural displays.
The largest event will be Barge Fest: A Red River Gathering at the Forks from August 31 to September 2. There will also be a parade on September 2nd and an arrival ceremony on September 4 in LaVerendrye Park on Tache.
For more about the upcoming events and historical background, check out Red River 200 and the Lord Selkirk Association of Rupert's Land. For more historical background also see the Manitoba Museum display that runs until September 30th and some of the dozens of entries from the archives of the Manitoba Historical Society.
If you want to go at your own pace, here are some of the monuments around town to Selkirk and his settlers:
The Lord Selkirk Monument on Memorial Boulevard at Colony Street was erected in 1955. The passage inscribed on it: "Neither a wild and visionary scheme nor a cloak to cover aggression" is taken from a letter written by Selkirk shortly before his death.
The Scots Monument on Waterfront Drive, (hurry before it's gone !)
The biggest monument is the Kildonan Settlers bridge on Chief Peguis Trail. On it are name signs for each of the original settlers.
In St. John's Park there is a cairn commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Settlers' arrival.
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