The Ferry System

1. The Ferry System

2. Selkirk EastSelkirk The Ferry System • Over 140 years ago, people used to cross the river on ferry boats. • These were very important because the Red River separated East and West Selkirk. • People wanted to move animals, food, and supplies across the river. • Canoes couldn’t move everything!

3. Why was a Ferry Better? • The ferry could move bigger items, like a wagon, or herds of animals. • People used the ferries to go to the local post office, school, and church. • It only cost 15-25 cents to cross on the ferry.

4. What Were The First Ferries? • The first ferries were built by the Aboriginal peoples. They used “bull-boats,” which were like a small canoe. • It had a round wood frame and an animal skin stretched across the bottom.

5. New Ferries • Wooden rafts were built next. • They were built by European settlers. • The first ferries had long paddles or poles. • The second ferries had cables attached to both sides of the river. • The ferryman pulled the raft across the river along the cable. • When a ship came along the river, the cable would be dropped low into the water so the boat could sail overtop.

6. The Design • The ferries were usually made from wooden 4 x 8 planks. • There were guardrails on the edge so people wouldn’t fall off. • There were wooden planks at the front and back to help people get on and off easily.

7. How Did They Know Where To Build A Ferry • It couldn’t be built too low or the dock would flood. • It couldn’t be built too high or the people couldn’t get on and off.

8. The Dangers • Sometimes it was dangerous to travel on the ferry. • In the spring, melting ice sometimes pushed the ferry over. • Sometimes cars, horses, and people fell into the river. • Sometimes people and horses even drowned.

9. The Ferryman • The ferryman had a dog because he got lonely. • Sometimes parties were held at the ferry • Sometimes it was used as a dance floor.

10. The Selkirk Ferry • One of the ferries was between Selkirk and East Selkirk. • It was called the Selkirk Ferry. • Mr. Holdgate was the manager of the ferry. • He attached the rope across the river to an ox to pull the ferry across. • This was right beside the Selkirk Bridge on MacLean avenue. • The ferry was taken apart after the Selkirk Bridge was built in 1937.

11. Where did all the ferries go? • Ferries were disappearing because not as many people wanted to use them. • It was not good to move cars on ferries. • Bigger and stronger bridges were built. • Everyone was crossing the river on the bridge.

12. This presentation brought to you by the St. Clements Heritage Advisory Committee! • - “preserving our community’s heritage one story at a time” – • Information Compiled/Presentation Created by Jared Laberge Bibliography • St. Clements Historical Committee. East Side Of The Red. Winnipeg: Inter-Collegiate Press, 1984. • Prystupa, Donna. Current Ferries In Manitoba, 1840-1986. Winnipeg: Historic Resources Branch, 1986. • http://www.minnehahacounty.org/depts/siouxland/siouxland_museums/exhibits/l_c_gifts_mandan/teachers/artifact_pages/32_buffalo_bull_boat.htm The End