St. Marys Church  

The little church of St. Mary's at Kaleida was built in 1892 in memory of the Hon. William Winram. Mr. Winram came from Olverston, England and settled in the Riverdale district, south of the town of Manitou. He was elected to the Manitoba Legislature in 1878 and sat as a member for 13 years. He was Speaker of the House for three years.

Upon Mr. Winram's death in 1891 the parishioners of the Riverdale congregation decided to erect an Anglican church in memory of him and they canvassed for funds.

It was named St. Mary's after the parish church of the Winram family in England. Built of natural field stone of red, black and grey with stone buttresses at each corner it looks like a small country church that would fit into the rural countryside of England. The land slopes away to the east and south. Wild mauve crocus bloom in the spring. Yellow marigolds and bluebells reach up above the grass in summer.

Young men trained in England as ministers came to do missionary work in a new country. What a challenge it must have been to them travelling through the Pembina Valley holding services in all kinds of weather. In the winter they would go by team and sleigh and with horse and buggy in the summer.

The homesteaders, too, must have had faith and confidence in this land and in the community they were building to leave such a lasting tribute.