The Marine Museum of Manitoba, at Selkirk, Manitoba

Selkirk, Manitoba

Selkirk is a city in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, located about 22 km northeast of the provincial capital Winnipeg on the Red River, near . As of the 2006 census, Selkirk had a population of 9,515....

, was established in 1972 to gather ships, artifacts, and items relating to shipping, to tell the story of the development and the operation of transportation on Lake Winnipeg

Lake Winnipeg

Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...

 and the Red River

Red River of the North

The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...

. The period covered by the Museum's displays starts circa 1850 and continues to present day.

The Marine Museum is a non-profit organization operated by a board of local citizens operating under the name of The Marine Museum of Manitoba (Selkirk) Inc. With support from the City of Selkirk and nearby businesses, as well as from both the provincial and federal government, the museum’s purpose is to collect, preserve, research, exhibit and interpret its collection of historical artifacts.

Among its collection of ships, the Motor Ship Keenora

Keenora

The steamboat SS Keenora is probably the best-known and most loved of all Lake Winnipeg steamboats. The vessel began operations as a steamboat on Lake of the Woods in Ontario, where from she was transported to Winnipeg, Manitoba and rebuilt...

 was the first acquired by the museum. Abandoned in the Selkirk Slough in 1966, the MS Keenora was purchased from Marine Transport Navigation Company in 1972, by a group of twenty Selkirk businessmen. In the summer of 1973 the Keenora was removed from the waters of the Red River on the Selkirk dry dock (marine railway), then dragged on its keel, across the grass of Selkirk Park, to its present location, near the park entrance.

Stationary vessel exhibits

• SS Keenora (built in 1897) is the oldest preserved steamboat in Manitoba
  Manitoba
  Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
  
  .
• CGS Bradbury (built in 1915) was an ice breaker owned by the federal government.
• M/S Chickama II (built in 1942), connection vessel operating between Warren Landing
  Warren Landing
  Warren Landing may refer to:* Warren Landing, Manitoba, a village in Canada.* Warren Landing Lower Range Lights, a navigational aid.* Warren Landing Upper Range Lights, a navigational aid....
  
   and Norway House.
• M/S Lady Canadian (built in 1944), a vessel for fishing and hydrographic mapping.
• M/S Peguis II (built in 1955), a barge tug.
• M/S Joe Simpson (built in 1963), replacement vessel of M/S Chickama II.

Affiliations

The Museum is affiliated with: CMA

Canadian Museums Association

The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...

, CHIN

Canadian Heritage Information Network

The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...

, and Virtual Museum of Canada

Virtual Museum of Canada

The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...

.