Due to the location of what would be Angusville, it was used as territory by various Indigenous peoples throughout the centuries before Europeans arrived. The land, which was part of the northern territory of the bison, a valuable source of food and supplies, was the territory of the Anishinaabe, the Sioux, the Cree and the Oji-Cree.
As fur traders came through the area with the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company, a new Indigenous race would emerge, the Metis. The Metis would become known for their huge bison hunts.
Eventually the land would be ceded to the government amid the numbered treaties.
In 1884, Angusville would be established and named for a family with the surname of Angus in the area. The community would remain small in terms of population, but it still served as an important commercial centre for the area.
In 1904, the Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church, a modest-sized wood-frame building, was built in the wooded area northeast of Angusville. The church was established by Ukrainian settlers who had arrived to the area only a short time before, providing them with a place for worship, for meetings and for get-togethers among the community members. The interior was painted by local artist John Pushka, and Father A. Delaray oversaw the construction of the church and its first years of use. The building sits on land with a cemetery and a free-standing bell tower and it is one of the oldest surviving rural churches in the entire area. Due to its historic nature, the church was made a Manitoba Heritage Site in 2009.
While he never came to Canada, Ivan Franko would have an impact on Angusville. Franko was born in the Austrian Empire in 1856 and would become a political activist and founder of socialist and nationalist movements in western Ukraine. He would also translate the works of many noted writers including Lord Byron and William Shakespeare into Ukraine.
The Ukrainian People’s Home of Ivan Franko would be built in 1934, nearly two decades after Franko had passed away. This Ukrainian Hall was built in the community and features a noticeable black onion dome that is visible from almost any local vantage point. Today, this is one of the few social halls built in Manitoba by the Ukrainian National Home societies that features an onion dome of this design. This hall remains intact from how it was originally built and makes a great place to visit on any trip to Angusville. Due to its historic nature, it was made a Municipal Heritage Site in 1992.
In 1935, a new church was built nearby to Angusville. The Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of the Ascension was built over the course of 1935, and is a beautiful wood structure that draws on Roman and Byzantine sources for its construction. Most recognizable for its three onion domes, the inside of the church was also painted by local artist John Pushka. The church still stands to this day and is used on occasion by the members of the community. The church was made a Municipal Heritage Site in 2005.
In 1938, the Angusville Municipal Building was constructed, and unlike many municipal buildings, it looks more like a home than it does a town hall. The building has the old town bell mounted on a cairn nearby, and the building was used for several years. The building includes offices, council chambers, vaults, a jail cell and more. In the 1960s, the town moved to another building, but this building still stands and serves as an example of the work Angusville did to ensure community affairs were dealt with during the heart of The Great Depression and beyond. Due to its historic nature, it was made a Municipal Heritage Site in 2000.
In 1963, a legendary run of success began for a baseball team in Angusville called The Cardinals. The Angusville Cardinals played in the North West League, which travelled throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan to play in tournaments. The team would finish as runner-up for the Provincial Baseball championship in 1963, earning the Ab Richardson trophy. They then won the North West Baseball League championship. Managed by John Parobec, the team would win the Juvenile championship in 1964, and then again in 1965. That same year, the team won the Manitoba Intermediate Baseball Championship against their main rivals, the Pilot Mound Pilots in a 13-inning game. In 1965, the team won four different trophies. In 1966, the team had another great season, winning every game except their championship game. In 1968, the team won the North West League again, and made it to the final game of the Provincial Finals, which they sadly lost. The team’s run from 1963 to 1968 with multiple championships would result in the team being inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.
