In an area on the southern edge of the City of Selkirk now known as the neighbourhood of "Old England", but long referred to as Mapleton.

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A long time ago a little one-room school sprang up in the village of Old England. To be exact in the year 1912.

(Source: Beyond the Gates of Lower Fort Gary 1880-1981, p 78 [1982; Adapted])

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Unknown Oblate Missionaries served the neophyte church in the area from 1877-1879.

As Christianity increased, particularly among the (Indigenous) Aboriginal People, the mission house became too small for religious service. A vacant Methodist church built in 1877 and located on Dufferin Avenue was purchased. The blessing of this new church took place in the fall of 1887. The Oblates continued to serve the needs of the parish and many far-away missions until 1904. At that time, they felt the parish was well enough established and could maintain itself. They donated the church and property on Dufferin Avenue to the parish, rented the mission house and severed a beautiful relationship which lasted over 25 years.

At that time more and more families were moving to Selkirk, mostly of English and French ethnic backgrounds. By 1910, many Polish families had begun homesteading around Selkirk. Many of these were of the Catholic faith and found it very difficult to communicate with their priest as he could only speak French or English. It was not until November 1931, that the parish's first Polish-speaking priest arrived, much to the delight of many Polish families.

In 1932, the church was enlarged and the name changed. The Archbishop blessed the new church on 11 September 1932 in the name of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and henceforth became known as Notre Dame, a French translation of Our Lady. Through many trials and tribulations, the church grew and saw many changes throughout its history.

The growth was particularly evident in the 1960s when it became necessary to build a larger church. A property was purchased on Toronto Avenue in the centre of town. With a great deal of work and dedication, the Archbishop of Winnipeg blessed the new church on August 28, 1964. This larger and present-day church located at 269 Jemima Street has since become a community edifice, not only serving the needs of the parish but also serving the community.

(Source: Parish of Notre Dame, Selkirk, MB website [2024/01; Adapted])

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Established in 1884, many Roman Catholics from the Selkirk Mental Hospital are buried here in unmarked graves.

The name was changed in 1932 from Mission of St Michael to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, but was referred to as Notre Dame. A discussion to develop a new cemetery was held in April 1947. The new cemetery was blessed in May 1949 and expanded in 1993. Note that MGS has listed the two cemeteries separately in its catalogue.

(Source: Manitoba Genealogical Society [Adapted])

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Dominion Land Survey coordinates: LSD06-30-13-05-E1

In the Rural Municipality of St Andrews

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A part of the town's story, and those of its inhabitants, from the early days of European settlement through roughly 2000 is told in the volumes "Beyond the Gates of Lower Fort Gary 1880-1981" and its later version named "Beyond the Gates of Lower Fort Garry - A Sequel".

More stories are told in the following local history books written by residents and researchers:

- Selkirk - "The First Hundred Years"

- Stories of Selkirk's Pioneers and Their Heritage

- Selkirk Today

- Town of Selkirk

- Selkirk Settlers in Real Life

Free digital versions of these and many other Manitoba local history books can be found online in the University of Manitoba Digital Collections. There is also a list of such books organized by district and town name on the Manitoba Historical Society's website on their page entitled "Finding Aid: Manitoba Local History Books".

Lists of burials in this cemetery are available from the Manitoba Genealogical Society (reference #0192 and #0193), transcribed by a member or members in 1883 and 1986 and updated in 2001 and again in 2019. Also available to MGS members is a searchable online database named the "MGS Manitoba Name Index" (or MANI). Some additional information is contained in the 1996 MGS publication "Carved in Stone: Manitoba Cemeteries and Burial Sites" (revised edition, Special Projects Publication, 106 pages).