Fort Garry Historical Society facts for kids
| Established | 1971 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 2016 |
| Location | St. Norbert and Fort Garry in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Type | non-profit historical society |
| Key holdings | Henderson House |
| Collections | Historic homes |
| Public transit access | 162 Richamond Express - St. Norbert 91 St. Norbert |
The Fort Garry Historical Society was a group that worked to protect old buildings and places. It started in 1971 and stopped working in 2016, officially closing in 2017. This group was formed around the time of Manitoba's 100th birthday as part of Canada. Its main goal was to help save important historical sites in St. Norbert and Fort Garry, both areas within Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The Society was connected with other important organizations. These included the CMA, the CHIN, and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
After the Society closed, its members decided to give their remaining money to local schools. They set up scholarships for students who wanted to study Canadian history. They especially wanted to help students focusing on the history of Fort Garry and St. Norbert. Three schools – Vincent Massey Collegiate, Fort Richmond Collegiate, and St. Norbert Collegiate – each received $5,000. The schools could decide how to use the money and choose which students would get the scholarships.
Exploring Heritage Sites in St. Norbert
One of the most important places the Fort Garry Historical Society helped protect is the St. Norbert Provincial Heritage Park. This park is about 17 acres (or 6.9 hectares) in size. It has 14 special signs that tell the story of the community's history and how it grew. These signs guide visitors on a tour along the La Salle and Red River. The tour ends where these two rivers meet, near the floodway bridge and gates.
Historic Homes at the Park
The Society was also in charge of keeping at least three old homes safe. These homes are the Maison Bohémier House, Maison Turenne House, and Maison Delorme House. The Turenne and Bohémier homes have been fully fixed up and look like they did in the late 1800s. They are now historic house museums and are filled with furniture from that time.
These houses are sometimes called the Fort Garry Historical Society Museum. You can visit them during the summer months.
The house that belonged to Pierre Delorme is also in the park. Pierre Delorme was an important Métis leader. However, his house has not yet been fixed up.
The Henderson House
Another old house in the park is the Henderson House. It was built in 1854. This house was originally located at 2112 Henderson Highway in North Kildonan. In 1979, it was moved to the park, right next to the Delorme House. The Henderson House has not been restored yet. The North East Winnipeg Historical Society plans to fix it up. They hope to move it back to North Kildonan in the future.
