Climate change isn’t new: some 20,000 years ago much of North America and Eurasia was covered with a massive ice sheet that in the course of its movement scarred, shifted, formed and transformed geological deposits initially by ice movement and later by the rushing torrents of melted ice and subsequent settling of different weights of transported materials.  As it melted and receded over about 10,000 years, the melt water in southern Manitoba collected in glacial lakes, prevented from draining to the north and east by the ice itself, and to the south and west by topography.

Lake Souris, covered the Souris area (including Oak Lake) and reached well south into North Dakota.  Initially, this lake drained into Lake Agassiz via the Sheyenne and later the Pembina rivers, but as the ice sheet receded, drainage carved a new route that is now the Souris River, leaving behind an unusual river valley fed by creeks, each with their own local valleys.

The resulting lands around Souris reflect this glacial background: the fine loam and clay soils in the immediate area and the sandier soils to the west signify their position under the glacial lake.  Sediment particles drawn into the lake were deposited according to size and weight as the water entering the lake lost speed.  These soils became the basis for sustaining prairie grasses that fed huge herds of buffalo, with the more protected valleys nurturing a wide variety of wildlife.  The combined ice and water movement also left behind gravel bars, and in the case of Souris, gravel deposits contain agates formed geological eons earlier by silica solutions gradually forming the agate material within spaces in the cooled magma that had previously contained gasses.  The ice and water movement was so powerful, that some of these deposits at Souris contain remnants from the Rocky Mountains, Black Hills of South Dakota, Montana, Northern Manitoba, and the north-east area of Hudson Bay.

The name Squire Sowden threads through the tapestry of our Town for very good reason. Close on the heels of the original settlers Captain Gilbert Woods, his wife and their two children, as well as Thomas and Edward Hicks, Squire Sowden founded our Town of Souris, and the Rural Municipality of Glenwood.  He headed the Sowden Colonization party which consisted of thirty six adventurous souls who crossed the Assiniboine River in April of 1881.

On a nearly treeless plain, one can only imagine what the settlers thought when they set their eyes on a tree that is estimated to be 300-500 years of age. The old oak tree is still situated in what is now Victoria Park, which was donated to the Town by Squire Sowden in 1897. It is interesting to note that our park is one of the oldest parks in Canada. We have an extensive bird sanctuary that houses our town mascots, the peacocks. We encourage them to make themselves at home in our town, so please don’t be alarmed when you see them wandering up and down main street.

The Souris Swinging bridge, Canada's longest historical suspension bridge (measuring 582 feet or 177.4 meters), was constructed in 1904 so that the Squire could easily attend to matters regarding his property in Idlewyld, which was on the opposite bank of the Souris River. We lost the bridge most recently when ice and water took it out in 1976.  It was rebuilt for the continued use of our citizens, and remains a tourist attraction to this day. Recently Canada Post commemorated the swinging bridge by way of a stamp.

Agriculture provided the economic base for the local economy, but immigration, the railway, manufacturing (furniture, bricks) and processing (flour, cream) combined to generate vibrant growth that lasted into World War 1.  This conflict affected both the demographic and economic base of the community.  Following the Great War, a depression combined with a flu epidemic stalled recovery, but into the twenties agriculture and the railway again fueled strong growth.  Music and sports were much sought after pastimes, tress planted years before began to change the appearance of the Town, and use of the river, creek and Victoria Park for recreation and enjoyment flourished.  Curling, lacrosse, hockey, golf, tennis, lawn bowling and baseball were popular.

With the onset of WWII, markets grew but virtually all able bodied men and many women from the Souris area answered the call to serve. Rationing affected the availability of many goods, particularly tires and gasoline (no cars or tractors were available from 1941 to 1946).

Development of the airport for the British Commonwealth Air Training Program added considerably to the dynamics of the community.  Several dance orchestras became well known in the area at that time, some on into the ‘60’s.  These included the Collinson orchestra, the Avalonians, Logan’s Old Time Orchestra, and The Souris Valley Playboys. When the airport closed in 1945, many buildings declared surplus were purchased and either moved to Souris for houses or businesses including the Souris Legion building and several homes on First Street.

New cars, tractors and farm machinery became available after the War, changing farm practices rapidly.  Fewer farms facilitated school consolidation and by the mid ‘50’s virtually no small rural schools continued to operate. Students were bussed to Souris.  The CPR operations, which in the late 1920’s saw almost 30 crews operating from Souris, grew again and became a significant factor in the Souris economy.

Into the 1950’s, the grass in the park was cut by town employees using scythes, and the grass along roads by initially horse drawn mowers, and later by a small tractor mower.  Lawns were cut by grass whip, scythe or push mowers.  Gardens were dug with spades and hoed and hand weeded.  Despite the effort required, the town was always proud of its appearance, and the conditions of yards and public areas improved and were more consistent (due to frequency of and scope of grass cutting, for example) as technology changed and facilitated regular care.

The decade of the 1960’s saw the beginnings of a gradual shift in rural life that continues to the present.  Businesses that relied on volume sales, or large customer bases for their viability, of necessity had to be located in larger urban centres.  Today, these are about 100- 110 kilometers apart throughout the Great Plains of North America.  In the case of Souris, it had survived for decades by something new replacing that which had become less viable.

Today, personal services have replaced the more visible dealerships, manufacturing and retail operations.

A few interesting thoughts from the pages of history;

	Squire Sowden infused our town with a rich cultural heritage by giving us an Opera House in 1892.  Distinguished guests included Helen Keller, Nellie McClung, and Hugh MacDonald (Son of Sir John A. MacDonald.)

	The very first cottage hospital was organized and instituted by a group of determined women, the Women’s Temperance Christian Union.  They raised the money and were the sole board of directors… for about a month. There was so much unrest about a group of women running the hospital that they didn’t even advertise an official opening!!  Graciously, after three weeks, they stepped aside for a new board of sixteen members to be appointed, twelve of which were men. Nonetheless, that was the beginning of hospitalized health care in Souris.

	May 24th, 1955, the first regional Library in Manitoba was opened in Souris.

	The first "Canadian Citizen" of European descent born in the Plum Creek district was Norah Creedon; in the Souris District, Mary Emmaline Butler.

	The Ku Klux Klan wandered through Souris in 1928 and right back out again within approximately one year.

	Chief Cha-ske, who fought with the Sioux at the battle of Little Big Horn in South Montana in 1876 against General Custer, paid his last visit to Souris, the town he watched grow into a thriving village, in the summer of 1929.