History of Kelwood by Bob Angst

In the last quarter of the 19th century the rich soil of the Canadian prairies was attracting thousands of European immigrants. However, the land between the Riding Mountains and Lake Manitoba was generally passed over because of its tendency to flood and stay wet for long periods of time. Yet, a few cattlemen saw the potential for grazing beef on the abundant grass and in the 1890’s pioneers soon started homesteading the area. During these years the hamlet of Glensmith came into existence two miles east of present day Kelwood. (A cairn marks its former location.) Glensmith was home to a half dozen houses, a church, a school and several stores.

In 1903, the Canadian National Railway decided to construct a rail line between Neepawaand Dauphin. After some debate the company decided to lay its tracks on the first tier of theRiding Mountain hills. Faced with the dilemma of not being connected to rail service, the village of Glensmith literally moved itself 2 miles west. (A portion of the present day Kelwood Community Centre was once Glensmith’s church.) Because there was an abundance of communities in the area with the prefix 'Glen' in their name (Glencairn, Glenella, Glenhope), it was decided that the newly relocated village needed a name change. The name Kelwood was chosen.

The village of Kelwood prospered in its early years. The land east was made more farmable by constructing a series of drainage ditches and soon there were farmhouses on every quarter section (160 acres). To service this bustling farming community, new businesses appeared. Kelwood at one time was home to a bank, a hotel, several restaurants, 2 grain elevators, 3 grocery stores, several hardware stores, a variety of implement dealerships, and a billiard parlor. The population rose to over 400.

Not only was Kelwood a thriving farming community, but during the first half of the 20th century, many residents supplemented their income in the winter by harvesting trees from the huge forests found along the Riding Mountains. Hundreds of cords of firewood were annually sent into Winnipeg by railcar. Also, large quantities of spruce were milled into lumber by local sawmills for local use. (In that tradition, much of the lumber used in the construction of 'The Barn' came from Kelwood poplar, ash and oak trees.) If the conditions are right, you can still spot tall stands of white spruce located on the hills to the west.

Kelwood, like many small rural communities throughout The Prairies, has experienced the effects of declining population over the last few decades. Yet, there is genuine pride in the community coupled with a sense of optimism for a brighter future, as demonstrated by the recent opening of 'The Barn'.

Welcome to Kelwood!