Winnipegosis Museums

04/25/2026

In 1968 Mike Yakielashek served as Mayor during which time the office building on Second Street continued to be upgraded. Plumbing had been added in 1966 and a vault installed in 1962.

Previous to this council met in various places: Hotel, Rex Theatre, Junior School, two roomed school, senior school and Secretary Treasurer’s residence. In 1948 a building was rented, and then later purchased, from Don Allen and moved to the Hotel parking lot. ( later known as G&G parking lot)

This building was sold in 1963 and moved. The village office on Second Street was set up in the early 1960’s and continued to serve the village and the rural community after amalgamation in 2012.

A new municipal office was set up in 2023 in the former Bank of Nova Scotia building on First Street.

04/01/2026

03/23/2026

Have you ever thought about where the name of our lake and then village came from? In our history book”Reflections from Little Muddy Water”,there is a section on the evolution of the name Winnipegosis. The information was provided by the Manitoba Geographical Names Program, Department of Natural Tespurces, in Winnipeg.

In 1720 it was recorded as being called lake Ouenipouchib but by 1753 it was Little L. Ouinipique.

It took many years for the name Winnipegosis to be spelled as it today

In 1858 Prof. H. Y. Hind explained that Winnipegosis is a Cree word meaning little Winnipeg, the suffix “sis” signifying “little” Dr Aileen Garland in 1975 noted that some accounts say that the Cree thought that they had reached the ocean, for which their name was Wenipak or Ouinpeg meaning “murky or nasty water”, that is, not fit to drink.

The explanation commonly accepted today is that Winnipegosis is “ Little Muddy Water” in the Cree language.

The post office opened here in 1896 under the name Mossey River at 10-31-18w and was changed to Winnipegosis in 1898, when moved to the new townsite under the administration of Postmaster Emil Hartman.

03/08/2026

The arrival of the railroad to Winnipegosis in 1897 brought about many changes for the community. Roads were still very poor, transportation was mainly by horse or oxen or simply walking! The railway tracks provided an easier way to travel.

Rail travel meant a savings of days or even weeks between here and the rest of the world. It also provided easier access to goods and services.

Winnipegosis boomed! Hotels, stores, and businesses were quickly established. Farming, ranching and fishing expanded. The population of this area grew rapidly. In 1899 the first school was built, churches were erected.

Though there is no longer rail service to Winnipegosis, we are so fortunate to have the original station, built in 1897, serving as our community museum! Do come visit this summer and learn more about our history!

02/12/2026

In this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald, Ed Stozek shared the story of Ray Snyder and the Snyder Garage. If you haven’t read it, I would urge you to do so. It gives a good glimpse of the handships of the dirty thirtys and Ray’s life.

We too interviewed Ray a number of times. His stories of working in the garage in winter with minimal heat, and on a dirt floor, made the hardships real.He spoke of how the concept of reuse, recycle, and restore was not a slogan for his family, but a way of life.

He also told stories of the good times, the winter fun of skating, snow shoeing and hockey. Summers spent on boats or joining a gang of friends swimming. Picnics at the beach, weekly movies at the theatre.

Ray contributed so much towards the retention of history for the Winnipegosis Historical Society. He had a collection of pictures of the early years; of people, boats, businesses and events.

Along with pictures he obtained from others, he with the help of Pauline Riley and Dr Allan Johnson put together a booklet of pictures for the 100th celebration of this community in 2015. We have this booklet for sale in the museum.

The Ray Snyder Collection truly helps the museums by providing visual images of stories we are preserving.

02/01/2026

It’s February already and when I taught school this was one of my favourite months because it was “I love to read” month.

When I look at the little school room we have set up in the Winnipegosis Museum so many memories flood back.

My grade one was spend in a double seater desk just like the one shown. We were taught reading through the Dick and Jane series.

We were called in from recess with a hand bell and we had a back cupboard filled with books.

The teacher’s desk always seemed so big and held such amazing things. Sometimes I think I can almost smell the chalk dust.

What are your memories? Do you remember your early school years? Do come and visit. We have albums of pictures taken by different teachers as well as yearbooks. Maybe you would find your picture!!!

01/22/2026

“Baby it’s cold outside” is the song echoing in my head as I look ouside! When I heard the announcement about no school buses I thought about the early days and getting to school.
Did you know that first school in the Fork River area on NE 36-29-19-W1 was built in 1899 and was called the Mossey River school?

In 1912 a new school was built in the village of Fork River and the Mossey River rural school was closed and students were bused (horses and wagon) to the village.

The Mossey River school existed until 1962 when due to decreased numbers some rural school around Fork River began closing and their students were bused to Fork River. The Mossey River School was then renamed the Fork River Consolidated School. It was closed in 1981 when all students were bused to Winnipegosis.

The following are the names of the teachers from 1962- 1981
Anita Goosen, Edward Tichon, Mary Rudkavitch, Darlene Paddock, Elizabeth Buller, Muriel Solomon, Mary Sahulka, John Zuriyk, John Dzik, E. Bayduza, Marie Sedor, Susan Buller, Marion Kuiper.

Some taught for ten or more years , some for only one. Most often there were four or five teachers at one time until student numbers dramatically reduced and in 1981 there were only two teachers hired for the year.

Did you remember any of these teachers? And how did you get to school?

01/08/2026

Here in Winnipegosis, winter has really settled in! I was doing some research and came upon this picture in Ray Snyder’s Collection of pictures that he put together for the 100th celebration in 1990.

It was probably a bitterly cold day but you can see men out cutting ice blocks to be stored in the ice house in preparation for summer fishing.

Cutting and storing ice employed anywhere from 15-30 men every winter. It was difficult and sometimes dangerous work.

Many farmers took advantage of these winter jobs to supplement their income, leaving wives and children at home to do the many farm chores.

Women would get up at 4:30am, replenish the wood stove (hopefully it hadn’t gone out) and then sometimes leave the children asleep while they bundled up to go out to milk the cows.

My mom was terrified of chimney fires so she told me how she would also bundle up my brother who was an infant and take him out to the barn and put him in a manger while she milked the cows By the time I was born we were no longer on a farm.

These women would chop wood, carry out ashes, bring in pails of water they had pumped at their wells as well as bring in snow to melt for soft water.

They cleaned barns and hen houses, feed and watered all the livestock plus did all their daily indoor tasks like making bread.

I always marvel at the stamina and work ethic of our ancestors!

This one building exemplifies the resourcefulness of people. Did someone in your family work here?

12/18/2025

Thank you to everyone who bought tickets for our 50/50 raffle. The draw was held this afternoon at the Senior Centre.

It is your continued support that helps keep the Winnipegosis Historical Society able to upkeep the buildings and preserve history.

The lucky winner of $1049.50 is Michael Sass from Snow Lake.