Selkirk Park, Manitoba: A Riverside Town Guide

123~35 minutes from Winnipeg. A 100-acre municipal park, an outdoor maritime museum, and one of the prettiest trails along the Red River.

If you live in Winnipeg and are thinking about a day trip — Selkirk can be a genuinely pleasant find. A small town north of Winnipeg, on the banks of the Red River, with a park, ships, and unexpected discoveries. We came here for the first time in winter, with no real expectations, and left with a full list of “things we need to come back for.” Here is what this place is, what is there, and why it is worth visiting.

If you want to read what our specific winter day in Selkirk looked like — with the ships in the snow and the cars on the ice — that is in our story about a winter day in Selkirk.

Where Selkirk Is

Selkirk is a small town north of Winnipeg, on the Red River. The drive is about 35 minutes on Highway 9. It is almost the same road that leads to Lockport, just a bit further — so Selkirk and Lockport are often combined into a single day’s route.

The town has about 10,000 residents and a character of its own. Less hustle, more space, that “small Canadian river town” feeling that has something cozy about it even in winter.

The World’s Largest Catfish: Chuck the Channel Cat

The first thing every visitor to Selkirk meets is Chuck the Channel Cat. A seven-metre catfish monument standing right in the middle of town.

Selkirk officially calls itself the “Catfish Capital of the World.” It is not a joke: the Red River here is famous for genuinely huge channel catfish, and the town takes its fishing reputation seriously enough to have made Chuck its unofficial mascot since 1986.

If you are passing through Selkirk for the first time — Chuck is your mandatory selfie stop. He is photogenic and obligation-free — but you have to see him, because he is the real business card of the town.

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Selkirk Park — 100 Acres of History

The park itself sits in the northern part of town, at 490 Eveline Street. This is a municipal park, not a provincial one — meaning it is maintained by the city, not Manitoba Parks. That means three important things: entry is free, the park does not close at night, and the rules are more relaxed than in provincial parks.

The area is about 100 acres (40 hectares). Not a giant like Birds Hill, but big enough to spend half a day here.

A Short History

In the late 1800s, this place was called River Park — just “the river park.” People came from Winnipeg for the day, and at the time it was one of the most popular places to spend a day off in the area. The most fascinating part: there was an electric tram (Winnipeg, Selkirk and Lake Winnipeg Electric Railway) that ran from Winnipeg to the park. A hundred years ago, people rode out here on weekends the same way we drive today — only by tram.

In 1912 the park was renamed in honour of Lord Selkirk, the founder of settlement in this region. In 1926, Canadian Prime Minister Arthur Meighen even gave a speech here — the city council declared the day an official holiday so everyone could come listen.

The Great Red River Flood of 1950 washed away almost everything in the park — buildings, furniture, paths. The park was essentially rebuilt in the 1960s, in time for Canada’s centennial. What we see today is the result of that rebuild.

What Is in the Park

Selkirk Park Pool — a pool surrounded by sand and grass, with a gradual depth up to 1.5 metres. An unusual format — not quite a pool, not quite a beach, something in between. Open in summer.

Splash Pad — a water playground for kids.

Campground — 165 sites, 135 with electricity. Season from mid-May to early October.

Boat launch — a boat ramp onto the Red River.

Marine Museum of Manitoba — covered separately below.

Off-Leash Dog Park — a fenced 1.75-acre area where dogs can run leash-free.

Skatepark, playgrounds, sports fields, 4 picnic shelters (bookable), bird sanctuary with observation deck.

Selkirk Community Trail Loop — a walking/cycling trail about 5 km along the Red River. Flat, simple, perfect for a slow walk with coffee in hand.

What Works in Winter

This is worth knowing in advance. Most of the park’s amenities are seasonal — the pool, the campground, shelter bookings, the boat launch all close until May.

But the park is open year-round, the riverside trail is accessible, the Off-Leash Dog Park works (since it is just a fenced area), and the Marine Museum — while closed from late September to May — still lets you walk around the ships from outside in winter.

In winter the park looks quieter and emptier — but that is often what makes a winter walk especially nice. No crowds, no noise, no lines — just you, the river, and your thoughts.

Marine Museum of Manitoba — Six Real Ships

This is the biggest surprise of Selkirk Park. The Marine Museum of Manitoba has been operating since 1972, and its collection tells the story of marine life on Lake Winnipeg and the Red River from roughly the 1850s to today.

The museum has six historic vessels:

• S.S. Keenora (1897) — a passenger steamer, the oldest and most famous. The heart of the collection.
• C.G.S. Bradbury (1915) — a Canadian Coast Guard ship, former icebreaker and lighthouse tender.
• Chickama II (1942) — a passenger launch built in Selkirk.
• Lady Canadian (1944) — a fish freighter.
• Peguis II (1955) — a tugboat.
• Joe Simpson (1963) — a vessel with the original engines of S.S. Keenora, named after a Selkirk-born hockey player.

All of them sit on dry land, connected by wooden walkways with rope railings. The museum also keeps a memory of MS Lord Selkirk II, the largest inland cruise liner in Western Canada, which carried Queen Elizabeth II in 1970. The ship itself is no longer here — it burned in the Selkirk slough in 2012. Only its anchor and lifeboat remain.

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Each of these ships has its own story — a dance floor, expeditions during the 1917 Spanish flu epidemic, engines passed between vessels. I covered the full story of each ship in detail in our story about a winter day in Selkirk, because for a single Place guide it would be too much.

Season: May–September. Inside the ships, you can walk freely — cabins, engine rooms, wheelhouses are open for exploration.

Prices (summer): adult ticket ~$10–12. Discounts for kids and families. Better to check the museum’s website for current pricing.

In winter: the museum is closed, but you can walk around the ships outside for free.

Selkirk Community Trail — A Walk Along the Red River

The other gem of the park is the trail along the river. The Selkirk Community Trail Loop is about 5 kilometres, flat, simple, with wide paths. Suitable for everyone: walking, cycling, running, strollers.

Along the trail you can see various birds — chickadees, blue jays, waterfowl. In winter, the view across the frozen river is dramatic — a wide expanse of white ice, trees as silhouettes on the far bank, quiet. In summer you will see the Red River at work: anglers, boats, ice fishing in season.

Other Spots in Selkirk

If you come for the whole day, do not limit yourself to the park:

• Selkirk Marine Heritage Walk — a riverside walk in the town centre with historical plaques.
• Selkirk Waterfront — a dock and promenade, perfect for a summer stroll.
• Chuck the Channel Cat — the giant catfish monument.

We will definitely be back in summer — because there is plenty to see, to walk through, to dive into from the historical side, and to enjoy from the side of nature and the quiet of a small town.

When to Go

Summer (June–August) — peak season. The pool, the museum, the campground, the boat launches, all events are open. The town comes alive, boats and anglers on the river. Perfect for a full-day visit.

Fall — a very beautiful time. Red leaves against the river, quiet, fewer people.

Winter — turns out to be an unexpectedly wonderful time for a walk. Everything is closed, but that is what creates the special quiet. Sun shining, river frozen, ships sitting in snow, ice anglers on the river, coffee in hand — atmospherically incredible. Just dress warmly and bring a thermos.

Spring — the period between floods and the season opening. Interesting, but watch the river level, because spring Red River flooding is a serious matter in this region. Check the city’s website before going to make sure everything is open.

What to Bring

Always: comfortable shoes for the 5 km trail, a thermos cup, a phone with full charge.

In summer: swimsuit (for the pool), bug spray, hat, museum ticket money.

In winter: dress for the wind by the river, thermos of hot coffee mandatory, good winter boots.

With a dog: on leash on the trail, off-leash dog park available; in winter, assess whether your dog is ready for the cold.

Who This Place Is For

• Families with kids — pool, splash pad, playgrounds, ship museum
• History lovers — Marine Museum, park history, riverside monuments
• Lovers of quiet walks — Trail Loop along the river
• Dog owners — off-leash dog park
• Campers — 165 sites right in the city
• Anglers — Red River, catfish capital, boat ramp
• Anyone looking for a quiet winter walk — ships in the snow and ice fishing on the river

Quick Reference

Why It Is Worth Visiting

Selkirk Park is the kind of place that does not grab you at first. It does not impress with scale like Birds Hill, does not stun with wild nature like national parks. But it has its own thing: the quiet beauty of a small town, history lying literally underfoot, and unexpected finds at every step.

A day in Selkirk is not “tourism.” It is more like a short escape from the big city. No pressure, no need to fit anything in. Just a walk, coffee, the river, quiet, and a couple of interesting discoveries.

If you have a free weekend — Selkirk is worth adding to your list. It is the kind of place worth seeing in both seasons: quiet and snowy in winter, lively and bustling in summer. And if you are curious why we started taking these no-plan drives within an hour of home in the first place — that is in our post about the forty-minute rule, and the specific story of how we drove to Selkirk with no plan is what started it all.