There are a lot of places in Manitoba that fit the definition of “abandoned.”
There’s Smokey’s Tree Stump, a 10-foot-wide concrete sculpture sitting at the side of the TransCanada Highway east of Richer. There are rusting derelicts of Red River Cruise ships. Along the Assiniboine River, there are remnants of Hudson’s Bay Company trading posts.
These are among the interesting, sometimes mysterious spots highlighted in the newest book by long-time local historian Gordon Goldsborough.
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The Winnipeg author and staple of the Manitoba Historical Society is on a tour of rural Manitoba with the book, “On the Road to Abandoned Manitoba: Taking the scenic route through historic places.” At least 25 stops are on his agenda this fall.
The new book is the third in his popular Abandoned Manitoba trilogy, and “probably the last of this series,” Goldsborough said. “I may have tapped it out on abandonment.”
The two previous books both won nominations and awards. The second, “More Abandoned Manitoba,” won the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award in 2019.
The new book is proving popular among Manitobans. Like the previous volumes, “On the Road to Abandoned Manitoba” explores new and historically significant sites, but this time with more emphasis on Goldsborough’s own journeys to rediscover them.
The author says he enjoys travelling Manitoba’s back roads and hopes to inspire the public to follow his example.
Old bridges and grain elevators are two of his special passions. The cover of the new book, a photo taken north of Oakville featuring an antique car, curving country road and antique bridge, echoes those interests.
Speaking at a library stop in MacGregor in late November, Goldsborough relayed the story of a recent jaunt following the original route of the TransCanada Highway across Manitoba. The “Pine to Prairie Run” occurred this past summer with five antique cars making the trip from the Ontario border to the Saskatchewan border, following the highway as it existed in 1932. The route covered 545 kilometres and lasted three days.
Highlights
As well as seemingly random roadside stumps and old river boats, the book covers locations like the Lemiez Sculpture Garden, a farm site in the RM of Grahamdale in the northern Interlake where rows of concrete sculptures were made and left behind in the 1960s and ‘70s.
There’s the Big Grass Duck Factory No. 1, which includes information on the site’s founding and the work of Ducks Unlimited Canada. In eastern Manitoba, Goldsborough brings readers to the Pineland Forest Nursery, while the Tilston Coal Shed is spotlighted in the southwest.
The book’s introduction notes locations like the Treesbank Ferry, which once crossed the Assiniboine River north of Wawanesa, the grain elevator at Elva that was destroyed by fire in 2022 and the wreck of the steamboat Alpha that is buried in the bank of the Assiniboine River in Spruce Woods Provincial Park.
Other places would require a major undertaking to visit, but are interesting to read about. These include the Dene Village and Akudlik near Churchill and the artificial island created near Port Nelson, made in an aborted attempt to create a seaport.
Author background
Goldsborough has previously worked as a university professor and water quality specialist, with emphasis on conservation policies for Canadian wetlands. He is known for his radio presentations and volunteer work for the Manitoba Historical Society and has also appeared as a contributor in the Manitoba Co-operator.
He is on-air on CBC Radio on Sunday mornings to speak on Manitoba’s forgotten places and buildings. Most stories mentioned there have been included in his books.
More recently, Goldsborough has started a YouTube channel. Each week, “Manitoba Heritage Moments” posts a short video on a historical topic of interest. Recent videos include the Headingly Gaol Cemetery, Smokey’s Tree Stump and the old TransCanada Highway.
In recognition of his historical and scientific work, Goldsborough was inducted into the Order of Manitoba in 2021.
The author plans to retire at the end of 2023, but hopes to continue his volunteer work and explorations around the province.
