Open Year Round | First Street South & James Ave, Beausejour, MB.
The Manitoba Glass Works Historic Site is the site of the first glass container factory in Western Canada. It was built in 1906 by Joseph Keilback and his partners. Glass-blowers from Poland and the United States, aided by local labor, used silica sands to produce bottles for breweries and soft drink companies in Winnipeg, serving the prairie market. Semi-automatic machines were soon installed to increase production. Winnipeg businessmen took over and enlarged the plant between 1909 and 1911. The new company expanded its production to include jars and medicine and ink bottles. At its peak it employed 350 workers.
Archaeologists have participated in public digs at various times. Ink bottles, glass pieces and tools have been found. This historic site is situated at the south end of Glass Lake on First Street. It is open to public viewing throughout the summer months. Acessible from the walking path at the Glassworks Heritage Site is the Wally Chryplywy Nature Park.
The Wally Chryplywy Nature Park is 25 hectares of natural woodland and prairie which boasts paved hiking trails and groomed cross country ski trails in the winter. The park is located on the southwest outskirts of Beausejour, accessible from the walking path at the Glassworks Heritage Site.
The property for the Wally Chryplywy Nature Park was donated to the Town of Beausejour by Mary Chryplywy in memory of her husband Waldemar Chryplywy, whose family emigrated from the village of Lobyanky Veshy, Ukraine to Ladywood, Manitoba in 1904. Chryplywy served as a municipal councillor in the Rural Municipality of Brokenhead from 1949 to 1951. A cairn at the site was dedicated on 6 August 1989.
Unofficial maps of the location can be accessed using Alltrails.
