CHARLESWOOD HISTORY - CLOSE UP

  • Businesses
  • Churches
  • Military Contributions
  • Monuments
  • Parks
  • Prominent People
  • Recreation Centres
  • Schools

Early History

The area was originally part of a vast territory knows as Rupertsland, granted to the Hudson Bay Company (H.B.C.) in 1670.  Early in the 19th century, Charleswood was the location of the “The Passage”, a natural ford at the foot of Berkley Street, where the Assiniboine River was shallow enough to cross. The Passage was frequently used by buffalo hunters travelling to Pembina, and independent traders wanting to bypass the Forks in defiance of the H.B.C.’s monopoly.

R.M of Assiniboia

In 1869, the H.B.C. ceded the territory to the Dominion of Canada, and the Province of Manitoba was created in 1870. The R.M of Assiniboia was incorporated in 1880, combining the Parishes of Headingley, St. Charles, St. James and part of St. Boniface on both sides of the Assiniboine. In 1899, a highway, (Roblin Blvd) was surveyed along the south side of the Assiniboine River. The Manitoba Government purchased 117 acres in 1903 for an Agricultural College (later Fort Osborne Barracks). A year later, the City of Winnipeg purchased 283 acres for Assiniboine Park. By 1905, the Tuxedo Park Company had acquired 3,000 acres for a residential subdivision that became the Town of Tuxedo.

R.M. of Charleswood

As roads improved and the Assiniboine River became more of a barrier, the Rural Municipality of Charleswood was incorporated in 1913.  The name “Charleswood” has two probable sources of origin. One is that it was named for Charles Kelly who served on the first municipal council. The other is that it is a combination of the Parish name “St. Charles” and the dense woodland that filled the area.

Additional Activities

Past-president Len Van Roon Sr has copied over 500 photographs of early Charleswood, on loan from the collections and family albums of local residents. A visual history of Charleswood, assembled in slide form, is available to show in local school programs, and to senior citizen groups among others. The CHS conducts an active and oral history program, recording the reminiscences of many of our “old-timer’s” early life in Charleswood. Many of these oral histories are on file with the Assiniboine South School Division for use by local students.

Visit Charleswood's Many Parks

Charleswood has over 50 parks for family outings. What parks are close to where you live? Can you find out the stories behind their names? Listed here is a short list of our parks to start with, but there are many more. Don’t forget to check out “The Passage”, the historic buffalo crossing of the Assiniboine River.

CHARLESWOOD'S HISTORIC SQUARE MILE

Visit Charleswood's many parks!

(Click the park you would like to visit for directions)