Home
Contents Downloads Resources

Resources Related to Chapter 8: Expansion

Page 53:  Minto Page 54: Highway 23
Page 55: Elgin
Page 56: Grande Clairiere
Page 57: Goodlands Page 58: Waskada
Page 59: Stops on the Lyleton Branch Page 60: Lyleton
Page 61: Wakopa and West Page 62: Bannerman and The Great Northern
Page 63: North to Minto Page 64: Railway Construction – Heaslip & Beyond
Page 65: West From Lauder - Bernice & Bede Page 66: West From Lauder – Broomhill & Tilston
Page 67: The Boissevain – Lauder Branch Page 68: Croll, Regent & Dand


Page 53:  Minto







The new Great Northern line offered excursions to Brandon Fair



Minto Photo Collection




Page 54: Highway 23

Fairfax



In 1899, after the railway was built, a survey was made of the village of Fairfax and building lots were sold. 


Underhill



The A.E. Hill Store in 2016

The ghost community of Underhill took its name from Mr. John Underhill who arrived during the rush of settlement to this part of the prairies in the early 1880s.

Argue

Argue was known as the “Trackend” for a year as it was the most westerly station on the Winnipeg-Cameron-Hartney Branch of the Canadian National Railway until 1900 when the line continued to Hartney and Virden.



The community was named after pioneer John Argue. 




Page 55: Elgin



In 1898 when the railway came through, there was not a building on the present site.


 
Most communities – even small ones, had a community band.



Built in 1904 this Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce building, to the left in this photo, was originally two stories high,
providing accommodation for the bank manager.  The second level was removed in the 1950s. 
After the bank closed in 1995, it became the Elgin and District Museum.




Elgin Photo Collection



Page 56: Grande Clairiere



The three-story convent in Grande Clairiere was built in 1906.  



Store operated by Claude Rey and Marcel Martine.



The Bank of Hochelaga
 

 

The Bank of Hochelaga has been preserved on a local farm.



The gas station

Grande Clairiere Collection

Vantage Points Articles

Grande Clairière     Web  / PDF
Vol.III, Page  31

Grande Clairière Convent     Web  / PDF
Vol.  I, Page 29



Page 57: Goodlands



Goodlands

The town of Goodlands was first started in 1899 by Bert and Ernest Goodlands who built the first store.
In that same year a lumber yard, boarding house and blacksmith shop were established.

 

The local school was called Lennox School – it had existed long before the town was created.



Cranmer

In 1928 Cranmer made the news when one of its elevators collapsed. Workers had heard the building creaking and groaning and evacuated in time. No one was hurt.


Goodlands Photo Collection


Vantage Points Articles

What the Rats of Cranmer Knew    Web  / PDF
Vol.  IV, Page 50






Page 58: Waskada




A Post Office named Waskada was opened in 1883 a few kilometres south of where the town is today.



Waskada Collection

Vantage Points Articles

Waskada's Blacksmith: Ren Amos  Web  / PDF
Vol.  IV, Page 23

Charles Sankey    Web  / PDF
Vol.  III, Page 30

Waskada Museum    Web  / PDF
Vol.  III, Page 30

Waskada Park    Web  / PDF
Vol.  III, Page 50





Page 59: Stops on the Lyleton Branch

Dalny



Dalny was the first stop after the train headed west out of Waskada. Soon two elevators were doing a thriving business and a third was added in 1925.

Coulter

Coulter was the next stop and it did become a busy little village with a school, a church and a large general store.



The General Store built by pioneer Alfred Gould.

 

Coulter in 1959

Vantage Points Articles

Captain Large and the Empress of Ireland  
Web  / PDF
Vol.  II, Page 44
 
Lyleton Branch          Web  / PDF
Vol.  II, Page 42




Cameron



This elevator, now in the middle of a field is all that is left of Cameron Siding. There were once three elevators and a store here.



Page 60: Lyleton



Little towns like Lyleton owed their existence to the homesteads around them and a shopping trip to town was something the whole family would appreciate.





The Home Bank

A visitor to Lyleton today might find it hard to believe that it once had a thriving bank and a busy hotel.

Lyleton Photo Collection

Vantage Points Articles

The Home Bank Scandal Hits Lyleton    Web  / PDF
Vol.  IV, Page 24

Lyleton Shelterbelts     Web  / PDF
Vol. II , Page  45




Page 61: Wakopa and West




In 1886 the CPR railroad reached Killarney and Boissevain, and Old Wakopa began to fade. 
Then in 1905 the Canadian Northern from the east gave it new life. 




The Wakopa Village site in 2010 – the village was relocated here when the “Wakopa Branch” of the C.P.R.
was build from Greenway in 1904.


Mountainside

In 2017, the Mountainside Store – now used as a house, stands as a reminder of the little village that once served the needs of the surrounding district.  At one time, in addition to the store there were nine houses, the school and two elevators in town.




Vantage Points Articles

Mountainside General Store    Web  / PDF
Vol.III , Page 53

Ben Arde: Mountainside Store Operator  
Web  / PDF
Vol.  III, Page 53

Delivered by Train - Prairie Style    Web  / PDF
Vol.  IV, Page 29



Page 62: Bannerman and The Great Northern



Because it was the first stop in Canada it was an official Port of Entry with a Customs and Immigration Office.

When the railway line closed in 1936 Bannerman became a town without a purpose. There were several other towns nearby that till had rail lines. It faded away quickly and is now back to being a field.



The Great Northern Story

Vantage Points Articles

Great Northern Railway    Web  / PDF
Vol.  I, Page 30



Page 63: North to Minto

Desford

In 1908 the hamlet of Desford consisted of the water tower for the trains,
the Railway Station, elevator, section house, bunk house, the Methodist Church, the blacksmith shop,
a Community Hall, a General Store and a few houses.


 

The site of Fairburn School, now a park alongside Highway 3.

To us in modern times It may seem odd that a place like Fairburn was even on the map. It was just a lone elevator on the open prairie.




Eagerly awaiting the train at the Minto Great Northern Station for an excursion to Brandon Fair, 1917

 

The GN line crossed the CN line at Minto, a tower overlooked the crossing.


Minto Photo Collection


Page 64: Railway Construction – Heaslip & Beyond





Crossing a ravine between Heaslip and Bunclody




A concrete tunnel under the crossing.



The bridge over the Souris at Bunclody was the biggest undertaking.




Page 65: West From Lauder - Bernice & Bede




Bernice School




Bede School



Bede Cemetery


Page 66: West From Lauder – Broomhill & Tilston



Broomhill



The tiny village of Broomhill never was very big.



Kilkenny’s General Store – Broomhill, 2011

Broomhill Photo Collection

Vantage Points Articles

A Piece of the Broomhill Store    Web  / PDF
Vol.  IV, Page 26


Tilston

 

 Railway Avenue, Tilston

 

This small building is the former R.M. of Albert   Municipal Office. Tilston is now in the Municipality of Two Borders.


Tilston Photo Collection



Page 67: The Boissevain – Lauder Branch


 


Vantage Points Articles

The Blue Flea    Web  / PDF
Vol.  III, Page 51




Page 68: Croll, Regent & Dand

Croll

 

A Cairn marks the location of Croll



Regent



 

The Regent Store and the home of the owners.


West Hall / Hathaway



Dand



Dand United Church was originally the Chain Lake Quaker Meeting House.

Vantage Points Articles

Chain Lakes Quaker Church     Web  / PDF
Vol.  III, Page 46

Mrs. Weightman Comes to Canada   Web  / PDF
Vol.  IV, Page 32

The Rescue of the Hathaway Thresher
Web  / PDF
Vol.  IV, Page 54