Source: John on flickr Image
Briefly, Captain Kennedy House has been closed for several years because it requires structural repairs and updates for safety. Heritage is an exceptionally low priority for past and present governments. A committee has been established to come up with a 10 year plan to preserve this important historical site and will be presenting to the St Andrews Council and eventually to the provincial Dept. Of Conservation and Climate which oversees Captain Kennedy House. Rob spoke primarily about the Kennedy Family and the prominent role they played in Manitoba history during the 1800’s. Alexander Kennedy Sr; a factor in the Hudson Bay Company, married a Cree woman and one of their sons was William Kennedy who built Kennedy House.
By all accounts, William was involved in the fur trade and fishing on Lake Huron. He is said to have been a founder of the town of Southampton in Ontario as well as being involved as captain of some Arctic expeditions. William was also a proponent of annexing the Hudson Bay lands into Upper Canada.
Captain Kennedy house was designed by William’s wife Eliza and built in 1866. In the 1870’s she operated a millinery and fashion emporium on River Rd. Which was very popular. In the 1870’s recession struck, and land values plunged leaving the Kennedys almost penniless.
The Kennedys were also prominent in the Riel story in Manitoba. The history of the Kennedy Family embodies many facets of life in Manitoba in the 1800’s.
If you would like to read more about Kennedy House
